Flipside
by SilverDawn2010
Summary: Sonic gets transported to another dimension, trading places with his alternate self. Which would be just like any other week, but this time, in the other dimension... he's dating Amy Rose...
1. New Reality

**_Flipside_**

* * *

Chapter 1: New Reality

* * *

 _"No way..." Sonic muttered, shaking his head vigorously, trying to get those images out of his mind. What kind of fresh hell had he waken up to? This wasn't his life, this wasn't him. Eggman was playing a trick on him. Or someone was. This couldn't be real. He'd been knocked out and was dreaming. Something. No way was this reality right now._

* * *

"I've got you this time, Sonic!"

There was no tone of voice in the universe that could make Sonic run faster than hearing Amy Rose call after him. It didn't matter what he was doing, who he was fighting, or who he was talking to. He'd left perfectly good chili dogs behind just to get away from this crazy girl. Maybe Eggman kept him on his toes, but he never scared Sonic. Amy, on the other hand?

She was terrifying.

But where was she? He swiveled his head around, looking for anything pink and red. There. Only a few yards from him – how had she snuck up so close, and so quickly? He'd only been sitting here for a few moments after enjoying his lunch... had Amy stalked him to the chili dog stand and followed him out here? Undoubtedly…

"Amy..." He sighed in greeting, ready to run after just a short conversation. Most of the time, he was too nice to not at least give her that much. If he gave her a few sentences, she'd be less likely to pull her hammer on him next time.

She ran up to him and came to a halt a mere foot from his spot, smiling from ear to ear."Well, aren't you going to tell me how pretty I look?" Amy asked, doing a twirl and batting her eyes at him.

Sonic blinked and had to sigh again, his foot already tapping from impatience.

She giggled. "I know, you're too shy to share your feelings. It's okay, I know you're too stunned for words."

 _Exactly Amy, you know me so well,_ he thought wryly.

"So, how about a date today?" Amy asked, her eyes wide with excitement.

He shook his head. "No, not today. I got stuff to do." Sonic stood up and stretched his arms.

"Aww, why not? You always say that..." Amy pouted.

"Catch ya later, Ames," Sonic said and ran off, leaving Amy and her annoying persistence far behind. She'd follow him, surely, but would eventually give up. Part of him felt bad for leaving her, but he also didn't really care. He'd given her enough to leave him alone until tomorrow, and the hammer wasn't likely for at least another week.

No need to be terrified today. He smiled a little, calming down his rapid heartbeat that Amy always gave him.

But enough about her, right? What did he feel like doing today? It'd been a while since Eggman had done anything threatening and things were slow. In fact, he was bored, he realized. He didn't feel like hanging out with his friends, he wanted some action, something new, something exciting, some adventure... not running around the same world he did everyday. The only thing that consistently gave him those thrills was being challenged in some way, usually by Eggman himself. But hell, he'd take anything different right now…

On a whim, Sonic changed direction and headed toward's Eggman's latest base of operations. He seemed to move them all the time, but his latest one was far to the west, surrounded by flatland. Sonic sometimes took pre-emptive strikes on Eggman's operations, but usually with his team around him. Now that he didn't have much to do, why not just go and say hi to the fat doctor? He didn't have to engage him in an all-out assault, but just busting a few bots might help him get his fix for now.

" _Should I call in Tails for backup... nah, I'll be fine,_ " he thought and continued running.

Before he could get close to the ominous factories belching out black smoke in promise of creating horrific robots, Sonic actually spotted Eggman himself in the fields nearby. He was floating in his Egg Mobile, eight large bots made of dark silver metal circling him. They were squarish in form, and held up by four cylindrical legs. Their feet were tripods, similar to birds. Weird-looking things.

"Eggman!" Sonic shouted as he drew near, trying to draw attention to himself. He pulled up in his signature pose, arms crossed, wearing his cocky smile. "What are you doing out here? Shouldn't you be taking over a city or something? Is this field your new Eggman Empire?'

"Ah, Sonic" Eggman grinned down at him, his dark blue glasses shimmering. He steered his Egg Mobile so it hovered several feet above his opponent, and his grouping of bots surrounded both of them. "How nice of you to find me, when I've been seeking you out this whole time."

"You need to test your latest weapons?" the hedgehog asked, stretching his legs as he surveyed Eggman's entourage. The bots had just circled around him, moving in unison, but painfully slow. He wasn't concerned in the least, as he couldn't make out any guns, missiles, or lasers attached to the bots. "Your army is looking pretty lame."

"Oh, ho ho! You're awful confident for a blue rodent that's completely surrounded," Eggman sneered.

Sonic shrugged, and even closed his eyes. "I'm just giving you a headstart. Let's just say that you've done nothing but bore me lately. How about a challenge, Egghead?" He was ready at a moment's notice to smash each one to bits, but wanted to hear Eggman's threats first.

"A challenge? Why don't you go ahead and attack? Put your money where your mouth is, _hedgehog_."

Sonic crossed his arms across his chest and smirked, matching Eggman's look. "I could destroy all your toys now, but that'd be no fun." He opened an eye. "Is this all you brought today, 8 bots? No grand schemes, you just want a fight?"

"Why don't you find out!"

Outwardly he was cocky, but part of Sonic was suspicious. Eggman was practically begging him to attack, why? Then again, it was Eggman. An IQ of 300 and still couldn't outsmart him, hadn't won yet. Oh well, he'd win anyway.

In a quick gust of wind, Sonic launched himself off the ground, creating a tightly packed spindash and hurling his body towards the closest bot. Within an instant, he would be cutting through metal with impossible speed, his quills and body rotating to slice the bots into a million pieces -

But the impact never came.

Instead, a blinding light pierced his eyes, and a booming sound deafened him. Suddenly dizzy and nauseous, Sonic pulled himself out of the spindash, trying to gain his bearings again. He blinked as the tears ejected out of his eyes, trying to figure out what had happened. He couldn't hear anything other than a loud buzzing, and objects were slowly becoming less blurry.

As he descended and his sneakers hit the ground, Sonic only got more confused. Where were the robots? And Eggman? Stretching around him for miles and miles stood nothing but the empty field he had been running through, no metal or evil doctor in sight.

Had he overshot the target? Not a chance.

Feeling okay enough to run, as always, Sonic took off again, looking everywhere for the fight, or even the factories he'd seen earlier. But they weren't in a 10 mile, 15 mile, 25 mile radius... how? There was no way Eggman had invented robots that could have outrun him in those few second he'd been disoriented. What had that been about, anyway?

Nothing looked different, or felt different. He came to a stop in the exact spot he'd been fighting Eggman. Literally the exact same field as it'd looked a few seconds before the doctor had shown up. What was the deal?

When Sonic didn't understand something, there was one place he could always turn to. Without another moment to waste, Sonic took off towards Tails' place, hoping his little brother would have answers. He sped across the open fields, up and down hills, and eventually through the City near Tails' home. On the way through the streets, he managed to hear someone call his name.

"Sonic!"

He was about to stop when he recognized the same tone he'd heard earlier in the day. The tone of a persistent pink hedgehog. Nope! Now running even faster, Sonic had to make it to his little brother. If things were weird, Tails would make sense of them. He just knew it.

...XXX…

"Tails!"

The fox looked up, only momentarily startled by the door opening and Sonic's sudden appearance. He did this all the time. "Everything okay?" The fox asked, prepping his tails in case he needed to fly to the Tornado.

" _Is_ everything okay?" Sonic mirrored back, his eyes glancing left and right.

Tails tilted his head in confusion. Sonic was erratic but this was odd even for him. "Ummm, yeah, everything is fine... why?"

"Well, I was just fighting Eggman, and then something weird happened – a flash of light and some loud sound. And when I recovered he was nowhere. Not even a trace, Tails. He disappeared. And his factory did, too."

"Huh, that's weird. Let me run some tests." Tails flew over to his computer interface and began typing in a few commands, setting up some scans to see if they picked up anything odd. If there were any weird readings, it'd let him know. But it'd take a moment to calculate. In the meantime, he heard his phone buzzing in his pocket. One message from Amy. Hm?

" _Is Sonic with you_?" she had typed.

" _Yeah, why_?" He quickly texted back and left his phone out, knowing she'd quickly respond.

"What's weird about it?" Sonic asked, following behind and looking over his shoulder at the computer.

"Well," Tails cleared his throat. "Eggman doesn't usually attack quite so soon after we beat him is all. But perhaps this is his real scheme, and yesterday was just a decoy?"

Sonic looked at him strangely. "What do you mean yesterday?"

Another buzz from his phone. Tails rolled his eyes and read another text from Amy.

" _Is he okay? We had a date today, and he just passed me in the city without even stopping. And he's not answering his phone. Can you tell him to pick me up?"_

Before responding Tails looked back to Sonic, smiling a bit. "You know Eggman usually takes some time to rebuild his army every time you completely destroy it. And we just did that yesterday, so yeah. Anyway, Amy just told me she wants you to pick her up."

"Tails, Tails, wait -" Sonic ignored his last comment for a moment. "What are you talking about. We didn't beat Eggman yesterday."

Tails looked at him with concern, his tails twitching. "Oh no. Don't tell me you lost your memory."

"Of course I didn't lose my memory," Sonic crossed his arms. "I know exactly what I was just doing and what I saw. I just don't know what happened."

"What did you do yesterday?" Tails asked.

"Nothing in particular," Sonic replied. "I went to check out Eggman's new factories in the west, but we decided to wait and see."

Tails could only shake his head. "No, that's not what we did at all. Eggman just unleashed his new fleet of Egg Drills and we had to stop him from digging under the world's most populated cities and collapsing on themselves..." His phone buzzed again, and he sighed. "Can you please respond to your girlfriend on your phone? She's just gonna keep texting me."

"Tails, you're not making any sense. And what girlfriend?" Sonic shook his head, wondering if he was dizzy or disoriented. "Are you... trolling me right now?"

"You know, Amy, your girlfriend, the one you can't stop talking about, that one?"

Sonic had to laugh. "Now I _know_ you're trolling me."

The door suddenly busted open from the whack of a rather large hammer, and Amy Rose entered, looking like she wasn't afraid to use it. Every cell in Sonic's body panicked before he calmed himself.

"Sonic the Hedgehog!" she yelled, and then smiled softly. "I'm glad you're okay! Did you not see me back there?"

"Amy, I'm really not in the mood," Sonic held up his hands, instantly ready to take off. "I already told you I didn't want to go on a date today."

Her mouth formed a confused "o" shape, her brow furrowed. "What do you mean? We had one planned since last week, once we beat Eggman you promised me we could go out..."

Tails was getting more and more uncomfortable. Something wasn't right, and the two of them were certainly about to fight. It was just then that his computer made a ding sound, letting him know his data was finished calculating. Perfect timing.

"Uh, I'll check on that!" Tails made a small grin and flew out of the room, content to leave the hedgehogs to their quibbling. Amy had really mellowed out since her and Sonic had gotten together, but she still had the same temper and potential for anger.

He could hear some angry and confused shouting downstairs, and tried to cover his ears as he looked at his computer monitor. There it was, an anomaly... huh, this was certainly strange…

"This was the first time in 3 weeks you've ignored our date! You said you wouldn't miss anymore!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Amy. I never agreed to go on a date with you!"

"Oh yeah?" Amy reached into her pocket and saw Sonic's terrified expression as she reached behind her. Instead of her hammer, she pulled out her cellphone and scrolled down to their last conversation and thrust it towards his face. "What do you call this, then?"

Sonic read the words with wide eyes, his stomach turning over as he read sweet, cutesy words.

"This wasn't me, I would never say that! Ugh!"

Amy pulled out her hammer with one hand, now suddenly pissed. "What do you mean you wouldn't say that?!"

Sonic backed up, wanting nothing more than to run, but Amy suddenly had a tight grip on his arm. He could get away from her if he really wanted to, but knew this issue wouldn't settle itself.

"Have you been seeing another girl?" Amy demanded. "Let me see your phone!"

"I don't even have a phone, Amy," he tried to cross his arms in defiance, but to his horror Amy reached into his pocket herself and snatched a device. "Hey!" He was carrying a phone with him? How…

The girl let go of his arm, turned her back to him, and began searching through his texts. Sonic crossed his arms impatiently, tapping his foot. "See, nothing there. It's not even mine!"

"Hm," Amy turned back around, her face still cross. "Here's the same conversation on your phone." Her expression softened a little. "Do you really not remember?"

Sonic grabbed the phone back and to his shock, the same words read back to him, asking Amy for a date and agreeing on a time and place. What the heck? When did he ever agree to go out with Amy? Never in a million years would he…

Something really, really weird was going on. And he didn't like it.

Looking more through the device, Sonic tapped on his pictures, terrified of what he would find, and it was worse than he imagined. Nothing but pictures upon pictures of himself and Amy together, selfies, closeups, silly faces... he gulped as he saw them kissing, them together in some of his favorite places... but, when? How? He kept scrolling down the gallery, and then fresh heat rose to his face as he saw a few of them, and threw the phone as far away from himself as he could. The device shattered from the pure force of impact, the case and plastic bouncing around on the floor.

Amy looked up at him with a concerned expression. "Are you okay?"

"No way..." Sonic muttered, shaking his head vigorously, trying to get those images out of his mind. What kind of fresh hell had he waken up to? This wasn't his life, this wasn't him. Eggman was playing a trick on him. Or someone was. This couldn't be real. He'd been knocked out and was dreaming. Something. No way was this reality right now.

"Tails..." Sonic managed to say, looking up towards the young fox who was still hovering near his console. "Did you find anything out?"

Deep blue eyes looked back at him, looking perplexed and yet determined. "Yeah... I think I know what happened."

Sonic was by his side in an instant, happy to leave behind Amy and look for answers. "What?"

"Well, putting it all together... you seem confused, our memories don't match up, and yet you're still.. you, you're still Sonic. You know who I am, and everything - " he looked at Amy, who looked positively fuming, but decided not to go there, "... well, most everything else seems the same. And then I look at my space-time readings and see there was a humongous energy surge a few minutes ago. Big enough to cause a dimensional tear. And... so I think there's only one conclusion."

"Which is...?" Sonic asked, already guessing the answer.

"You must be a Sonic from a different dimension."


	2. A Bit Odd

_NeckBreak, IT'S NO USE I'M OUTTA USE, InuKaglover4ev22:_

 _Thanks for your reviews! I have a feeling this story will either be a lot of fun, or a huge mistake. I sure hope it's the former!_

 _Just a small note: I'll be referring to the two different worlds and two different Sonics as "Original" and "Alternate". "Original" refers to the world in the very first part of the first chapter. "Alternate" refers to the world the Original Sonic traveled to._

* * *

Chapter 2: A Bit Odd

* * *

 _Amy sighed. "I'll go with you. If only to keep my eye on you and make sure you don't do anything funny."_

 _"Ugh, no. As if you could keep up with me anyway." Sonic rolled his eyes for the hundredth time today._

* * *

 ***Original Dimension, Alternate Sonic***

"Hey, what's the big deal, Egghead?"

One moment, Sonic had been running around, trying to figure out if he could run just as fast backwards (spoiler alert, he could), minding his own business, thinking about Amy... and the next, he was enveloped by a flashing light and completely surrounded by Eggman and an entourage of lame looking robots. What gives?

"What? You're not supposed to be here!" The doctor stared at Sonic in horror. His machine was built to send Sonic far, far away, but the cursed hedgehog was right here, staring up at him with disdain and impatience. How had that happened? His calculations had been impeccable…

"Of course I'm not supposed to be here! What makes you think you have the right to kidnap a guy? But now that I am..."

Sonic didn't waste any time. He was upset at being transported anywhere against his will, and didn't have the patience to deal with Eggman right now. He curled himself into a ball and hurled himself at the bots, his speed and sharp quills cutting through them like butter. The thrill of seeing them smash into bits at his doing, the rush of the wind and speed and momentum would never get old. After he was done in a few seconds, he came out of his spindash to smirk at Dr. Eggman, scraps of metal and plastic falling to his left and right.

"Well, that was easy," he gloated, crossing his arms. "Next time you're gonna kidnap me, at least put in a little effort."

Eggman looked at his destroyed robots in horror. He'd spent months working on just the prototype of the OctoScramblers. The eight robots were engineered to perfection, and even fitted with his new secret weapon and power source. Not only had they not worked as he'd calculated, Sonic had destroyed them with barely any effort.

"Although I have to say," Sonic couldn't help but keep talking. "We just stopped your world domination plan, and you're already back at it! You're getting faster – but still not as fast as me. See ya!"

And with another easy victory under his belt, Sonic rushed off, leaving the doctor confused and speechless. Well, that had been odd. Eggman usually failed, but not this hard. Oh well, what had he been up to? Oh, right, Amy. He had to smile as he thought about her. She'd been so awesome yesterday as they saved the world together. And now it was time for their victory date. He'd been in the middle of picking flowers for her (while running backwards of course) when he'd been rudely interrupted by Eggman. But now, nothing would stand in his way.

Sonic raced around the familiar world, stopping only to pick the prettiest flower he saw in each of his favorite spots. The more he ran around, though, the more a weird feeling began to form in his chest. Something seemed a little off – the trees had slightly moved positions, the grass was a little taller in some spots. Rocks were in unfamiliar areas. Maybe he was misremembering. Maybe? He wasn't sure.

He ran back to the original field he'd been in, avoiding the spot were Eggman was having his bots clean up the mess from their earlier battle. Yeah, something was odd – he swore the trees were in different spots than usual. Or maybe it was because he normally came here from the north? He circled around to approach from that direction, but no. Things were still odd. What was going on?

The hedgehog looked back down at the bouquet in his hands, remembering his date. There was no way he was missing this one, Amy had waited long enough for him. He'd just have to ask her if anything weird was going on; he could always count on her.

After he finished gathering a bouquet for his girl, Sonic quickly looked for his phone to give a quick text – only to not find his phone anywhere. He panicked - had he dropped it somewhere? Maybe during the Eggman skirmish? Damn – he'd have to get another one then. No more time for messing around, though, he'd just have to rush to meet up with Amy.

Their planned date was in the City, getting a bite to eat for lunch and then heading to the skating park. He almost got lost in the City once or twice, He headed into their restaurant, scanning the seats and looking for his pink beauty. He wondered what she'd be wearing... he hoped it was that cute short blue dress…

Not seeing her, Sonic approached the hostess. She was here all the time, always welcoming him and Amy and giving them special treatment. "Hey Nancy, you see my girlfriend?"

The red raccoon blinked at him, then forced a smile. "Which one?"

"Haha, very funny. Seriously though, has Amy come by yet?"

"Um, no? Did you two make a reservation? I can look it up - "

"No, no," Sonic raised his hands. "It's okay, I'll find her. See ya later!" He rushed out the door, wondering if Amy had come into some trouble on her way here. If Eggman had captured her as well, he would have to go kick some more butt…

The blue hedgehog traced the route from their restaurant to Amy's house, not seeing any trouble on the way. He knocked on her door, hoping that she was inside. A moment later the door opened, revealing his lovely rose.

"Hiya Ames," he grinned at her. "Sorry I'm a little late, I got caught up with Egghead and somehow lost the phone you got for me. Anyway, I picked you some flowers."

He offered them to the wide-eyed girl, who stood frozen in shock. "Sonic... I... you..." The girl simply couldn't believe her eyes.

Sonic, the hedgehog of her dreams, was standing at her door, offering her a huge bouquet of flowers. One of each color of the rainbow, obviously hand-picked judging by their broken stems. He had picked flowers for her...?

"Do you like 'em?" He asked with such sweetness in his voice that Amy wanted to just pinch herself. Her heart was melting, feeling him so close to her, giving her just what she'd always dreamed.

"They're beautiful," she somehow managed to say, reaching to take them. As she did, Sonic's hands curled around hers, enveloping them in warmth. His touch was electrifying, and Amy felt her knees go weak. She wobbled a bit, her breath stolen from her lungs as Sonic's face got closer to hers. She was sure she was about to faint…

And then he was kissing her, fast, suddenly, his lips melting against hers with passion. Amy's eyes flew open from the shock, sure she was dreaming, sure this wasn't actually happening – and yet, she could actually feel Sonic's hands on hers, and his lips, those sweet, strong, soft lips, molding and caressing hers with genuine care and love.

Was this real life...?

All of a sudden he stopped, pulling back with concern in his green eyes. Their faces were still impossibly close.

"What's wrong?" He whispered against her lips.

"You just kissed me..." Amy breathed, her heart beating out of control.

"Is that not okay with you anymore?" he teased her, taking a moment to nuzzle her nose.

Amy felt like time was standing still, and yet her world was spinning. That had been her first kiss. Out of all the ways Amy had imagined it happening, Sonic rushing up to her house out of the blue, giving her flowers, and then kissing her was not what she had planned. Especially not today, when he'd been nothing but rude to her.

Yet, why was she complaining? She finally had gotten her man! Maybe things were a bit odd, but what did she care!

"Of course that's okay with me, Sonic!" Amy suddenly squealed, shedding her feelings of concern. "Oh, I always knew you cared about me!" She leaned back into his lips, knowing that nothing could feel better. As weird as things felt, they had never been more right.

There was his girl. Sonic kissed her back with love and tenderness, his hands not leaving hers, leaving a small barrier between their chests. He felt some intense thoughts enter his mind, but threw them off for now... he'd have to take the girl out for a bit before they messed around. He had some standards.

The hedgehogs broke the kiss.

"As much as I'd love to kiss you all day," Sonic smiled at her. "I'm pretty sure that I promised you a date. You ready to go?"

This day was just getting better for Amy. Sonic actually wanted to go on a date with her! Eek! But not wearing this old outfit... she'd put it on earlier to impress him, but it was far from her best dress. And a first date with Sonic deserved nothing but the best. "Uh, in a little bit! Let me change really quick."

"Sure thing... actually," A different smile came over his face, along with a slight blush. "Can you wear that blue dress? You know, the one that shows off your legs?"

Amy's face turned bright red. Sonic was talking about her legs? He liked them? Since when? But what blue dress was he talking about? She didn't know she even owned one, let alone wore won near him. Did he like blue? So many questions bombarded her.

"Amy?"

"Of course! I'll be right back!" She reluctantly let go of him and headed to her closet, ready to tear it apart if just to find the one dress that Sonic loved so much.

But blue? When was the last time she wore blue? It wasn't really her color – the only blue thing she really wanted on her was Sonic himself. She wracked her brain, trying to think of the last moment she'd worn blue, as that had been what got Sonic's attention. She had to recall every moment of it. Meanwhile, she dug through the pile of clothes in her closet, but the closest thing she could find was a pale blue skirt that she hadn't worn in ages. She grabbed the hanger and brought it out to show Sonic.

"Is this it?"

He shook his head. "No, no, it's shorter. We bought it together when you dragged me into Station Square mall. You let me pick out something for you to try on, and we both liked it so I got it for you." He paused, searching her face. "Do you not remember?"

Amy blinked, but she was scared to ask. Sonic was acting so strange! When had they ever gone shopping together? She'd begged him over and over, but they'd never gone.

"Why do you look so confused? That was like, last week." Sonic asked her, the odd feeling inside him growing. Today had been so strange, ever since the Eggman battle. This world didn't feel right, Amy didn't feel right, nothing did.

"I..." Amy was afraid. She finally had Sonic here, being so nice to her, kissing her, loving her... and yet it felt like it was falling apart. She had only just gotten him, and was afraid to lose him. But he was being so confusing... Was this some cruel trick?

"Are you playing with my heart, Sonic?" she suddenly demanded, summoning her hammer and glaring at him with an icy hot stare.

"Whoa, whoa, Amy, calm down..." Sonic took a step back, his heart rate spiking. "I'll help you find the dress, it's okay..."

"No, don't you take another step! You're one of Eggman's robots, aren't you? Or you're playing a prank on me!"

"No - "

"You're been acting so weird!" Amy stood still, ready to strike with her hammer if she needed to. "Tell me the truth, Sonic! Why are you here?"

"I just want to go on a date with you, honest Ames. Nothing funny, I swear. But - "

"But?" Amy demanded, her eyes still flaming.

"But - " he stopped, trying to organize his thoughts. "Today has been super weird. Since I fought Eggbutt earlier, things have just felt off. Everything's in the wrong spot, trees and buildings and stuff. Hard to describe, really. I was gonna ask you if you felt the same."

Amy dropped her hammer, deflating a bit. "The only thing that seems weird is you," she admitted. "You're not usually this nice to me..." she looked down at the ground, hoping beyond hope she wouldn't start to cry.

"I'm always nice to you," Sonic spoke softer now, not wanting her to cry. It'd break him.

"No you're not!" Amy screamed, an emotional powder keg. "You never want to go on a date with me! You always turn me down, and run away! You think you're too good for me, never say thank you when I help, you're just an egocentric cocky jerk! And you pretend to be a hero! And then, you come in here with flowers and kiss me, what am I supposed to think, Sonic? Do you really care about me or not? You're playing with my heart!"

He stared at her with his jaw slack, not believing any word she said. It was like she was describing a completely different person. "Amy, I know I've run from you before, but that was a long time ago... we've been going out for how long now...? I've apologized for all that.. "

"When have you ever apologized to me, Sonic? Never!" Amy was still pissed.

"Plenty of times..." he stopped, realizing they were talking in circles, and both confused. How could he prove all of this to her? "Amy, this is all a misunderstanding, I'm not sure what's going on, but maybe Eggman has changed something, I don't know what. Look, let's just go talk to Tails and figure out if something is wrong."

Emotionally exhausted, Amy drooped to the ground. She could feel tears welling up in her eyes, but Sonic was by her side in a millisecond, wrapping her in a hug. She clutched him close, letting out a few sobs into his shoulder.

"It's okay, Amy. We'll figure this out together. I promise."

His sweet words only made her cry more. How was he being so nice to her? Maybe something was odd right now, something was amiss... but if this was wrong, Amy didn't want to be right.

* * *

 ***Alternate Dimension, Original Sonic***

"Okay," Sonic let out a sigh of relief after hearing Tails' explanation. He knew he could count on his little bro. So he wasn't going crazy, and this wasn't really his life. Him and Amy Rose weren't actually together, he hadn't kissed her or asked her to be his girlfriend. Thank goodness.

Feeling his confusion disappear, Sonic took on a more relaxed stance. "A little dimensional travel, no biggie. Now, how do I get back?"

Tails turned back to his monitor. "I don't know. I still have no idea how you got here."

"Wait," Amy suddenly spoke as she leaped up to join the guys. "What are you talking about Tails? A Sonic from another dimension? He's Sonic... are you saying, there's more than one?" The implications were overwhelming her mind.

"That's the only thing that makes sense right now," Tails scratched his head. "In another dimension, there must be another copy of myself, you, and Sonic. And, if I'm right, the two Sonics just switched places. It's just a theory though... I could be wrong."

"No, no, it makes sense. Not my first rodeo in another dimension," Sonic grinned. "I wonder if your chili dogs are the same."

"Amazing.. it's like you're the exact same hedgehog," Tails shook his head. "I still can't believe this."

"If you ask me, he's not the same," Amy broke in. "He just threw his phone across the floor, and claims that we're really not dating. I think he's a fake."

The two boys just stared at her in silence, before Sonic rolled his eyes a chuckled a bit. He had to admit, it was a bit concerning that somehow an alternate version of himself was somehow going out with this irritating girl.

"Tails, is the me of this world really dating _her_?"

The fox looked at him and nodded, but Amy only shook her head.

"Think about it, Tails! This guy can't be Sonic, real or fake! The real Sonic would never do any of that, never been mean to me! What if this is an Eggman trick? I don't trust him."

"I'm not sure I trust him either, Amy. But if we want to get _our_ Sonic back, then we'll have to work together."

"Guys, guys, I'm right here," Sonic said with irritation. "If anything, the Sonic of THIS world is the faker. I'm the real deal. The fastest thing alive."

"Hmph. You're still not my Sonic," Amy said, and looked away, her hammer resting on her shoulder. She turned around and glared at him. "But you _better_ do everything you can to help us get him back."

"Oh trust me, I want to get home as much as you want me to leave, Ames. So Tails, what's the plan?"

The fox let out a sigh. "As I said earlier, I don't know... The problem is, according to your story, whatever happened to cause the dimensional tear happened in your dimension, not here. That means the energy surge, the power source, and the catalyst all came from your world. While here, nothing at all happened until after the energy transfer. Here everything was normal, there, something weird happened. So that means here... there's not much we can do."

Sonic shook his head. "No, there's gotta be something we can do. I'm _not_ just stuck here. I'll go around looking for answers if I have to."

"Well, if I'm right, our Sonic just traded places with you. So, he's in your world now. And once he realizes something is wrong, I'm sure he'll do what he can. With my copy, and Amy's copy, and maybe even Knuckles' copy, and the rest of the team..."

"No way. I'm not gonna just sit around here and do nothing, wait for this _faker_ Sonic to save us," Sonic said. "I'll go around by myself looking for answers if I have to."

Amy sighed. "I'll go with you. If only to keep my eye on you and make sure you don't do anything funny."

"Ugh, no. As if you could keep up with me anyway." Sonic rolled his eyes for the hundredth time today.

"You're so rude! Of course I can keep up with you. You're such a brat! And you call yourself the real Sonic, hmph."

"I _am_ the real Sonic. To me, this world is all kinds of messed up." He glanced at the fox. "The real Tails wouldn't say there's nothing we can do."

"Well, the real Sonic wouldn't run away from his friends who are trying to help them!" Amy yelled at him.

"I'm not running away, but you're giving me a ton of reasons to!"

Tails was cringing as he listened to the two argue. Normally he wouldn't care as it was just playful banter, but both of them were getting genuinely angry. "Guys, we're all on the same team... can we just focus here..."

"Well, you're not giving us anything to work with," Amy snapped back. "Sonic and I are going to look for clues." She grabbed his arm again, only to have him instantly pull away.

"I'm not going anywhere with _you_. Tails, I'll be back to let you know what I find." Sonic then rushed out the door, leaving his two best friends in the dust.

"Ooooh!" Amy yelled, pulling out her hammer to whack the side of Tails' workshop. The wall dented in, causing the building to shake from the impact before settling in.

"Amy, please..."

"I hate him!" She bellowed and hurled her hammer out the window, it disappearing into the distance. Part of her really, really wanted it to hit her idiot of a boyfriend. Well, faker boyfriend. She took a deep breath. Time to get serious, if she wanted to have _her_ Sonic back.

"Wait a minute... Tails..." She slowly turned to look at him, and the poor fox weakly nodded in response.

"So... you said there's a copy of me and you in the dimension where Sonic is now?"

"Yeah..."

"So what you're saying is... my Sonic is out running around with a girl he thinks is me."

Tails closed his eyes, already calculating how much it would cost to rebuild his house, his workshop, and everything he owned once he answered this question and Amy summoned another hammer. "Yeah..."

No hammer came out, but anyone with eyes could see an aura of rage emitting out of Amy's body. The girl was practically hyperventilating, her fists knotted into balls of anger. He cringed as he waited for her reaction, but she merely spoke through angry gritted teeth.

"What can I do to help?"

"I'm not sure..." Tails sighed, knowing he'd dodged the hammer. But he really wished his hedgehog friends would stop putting pressure on him. "There's a few things I have to figure out. What caused the tear, the power source, is troubling me. All the Chaos Emeralds are accounted for, so it can't be them."

"Something more powerful than the Chaos Emeralds?"

"Not really more powerful, just different."

"Well," Amy spoke, "If this power source is in the other dimension, shouldn't it be here too? Maybe we can find it. I guess, that's what I'll do. I'll go get Cream and maybe Knuckles, I think we could use all the help we can get..."

Tails nodded. "Okay, sounds like a plan. I'll stay here and see what else I can figure out. And Amy..?"

"Yes?"

"Don't worry, okay? We'll get Sonic back."

"I know," she smiled a bit. "We always do."

Before leaving, Amy took a few minutes to clean up some of the mess that had been made. As she picked up the pieces of Sonic's broken phone off the floor, it was as if she was gathering pieces of her heart. She'd gotten this phone for him in the first place, so they could communicate no matter where Sonic was. And now, she'd have no way to contact him. Her Sonic was all alone in another world... so far away.

And this other guy? It wasn't her Sonic, she had to remind herself. As much as he looked the same, wearing the same blue quills, green eyes, and tan fur that she'd fallen in love with... this was a different hedgehog entirely. He didn't even want to work with them, running off on his own. What a jerk. The sooner her boyfriend came back the better. Even if Tails said they couldn't do much, there was no way she could just sit around. She'd get her Sonic back no matter what.


	3. Poor Decisions

_InuKaglover4ev22, IT'S NO USE I'M OUTTA USE, TheGameNguyener, IHeartSonAmy, ShadowKitten99, SpeedsMyGame:_

 _Thanks so much for reviewing! You guys rock! I always love opening my email to see reviews. So thanks again. :D_

 _This chapter took a while for me to write, due to IRL issues and me having to really work out the plot for this story. Usually I plan things out before I write them, but this started out by the seat of my pants. I have a solid grasp on the character arcs now, so it should all work out!_

 _Please hang on to your hats, because this story's gonna get crazy and fun..._

* * *

Chapter 3: Poor Decisions

* * *

 _...if the Sonic here liked her, did that mean… deep down, he actually liked her? Ugh, no way. He didn't even want to explore anything remotely close to his feelings on the subject. Amy scared him, she made him nervous, and anxious. That was it. He was sure of it. There was no way he secretly wanted to kiss her._

* * *

 **Original Dimension - Original Eggman**

"Curse that hedgehog! Curse him!" Eggman shouted as he rode his Egg Mobile back into his base, still angry over Sonic destroying his OctoScramblers. His calculations had been perfect, impeccable, and completed over and over again in his brilliant mind. What had he been overlooking?

Soaring over the top of his rows upon rows of factories, all producing new robots for one scheme or another, Eggman was lost in thought. The buildings below him were small time; his latest plan had been beyond anything he'd tried before. To truly get rid of Sonic had been nothing but a pipe dream, but he could feel the possibility dangling in front of his face. But he'd failed. Again, and not in the way he'd expected.

The only thing he could think of was the power source itself had malfunctioned, or his scans and tests of its use were incomplete. Perhaps he had been too hasty on using it on Sonic himself - but how could he wait, when it had worked like a charm on inanimate objects? His test subjects had completely disappeared without a trace, no energy or mass left over. At first Eggman thought it too good to be true, as this new power source seemed to defy the laws of the conservation of matter. Making things disappear at will seemed to be it's only use though. So why did the objects cease to exist, while Sonic himself was unaffected? Eggman had seen the bright flash of light, and Sonic seemed to have left for a moment… only to return. Odd.

Either way, the gemstone (which he was still thinking of a proper name for - he quite liked the sound of Egg Stone) was still his for now. Sonic hadn't destroyed or even noticed it after dismantling his creations.

So, what was his next move? Go back to his lab and look over the data, try and figure out what happened. He could rebuild the OctoScramblers to perform further testing.

As he landed near his lab and walked in, the doctor considered calling for his two idiotic assistants, but knew this would have to be done by himself. He grabbed the Egg Stone (yes, clearly the best name) and placed it inside of a small cylinder pod to be scanned. As the pink gemstone was bombarded with weak lasers and lights, he heard the distinct sound of two robots hovering behind him.

"So… how did it go?"

Eggman curled his fists and kept staring straight ahead. "Orbot, Cubot… you two idiots get out of here and make yourselves useful! I need 4 more copies of the OctoScramblers for more testing, immediately."

Without even turning around from the computer monitors, Eggman could see their round and square faces droop in disappointment. "Yes Doctor…"

Good. Those should be coming along shortly. But the data from the Egg Stone? What was this? He squinted and leaned forward over his desk, trying to see the lines of numbers more clearly. A dimensional tear, in the location where he'd been fighting Sonic. So that's what had happened. But how did that explain…

Eggman typed several commands into the keyboard, running hypothetical equations and scenarios through a simulator. Multiple scenarios were displayed back to him, and he shook his head at each of them until the very last one.

It was the only one that made sense.

"So that's it, huh…" he muttered to himself, typing in more commands, as an evil smile crept up his face. "He traded places with another version of himself, in another dimension… that only means one thing."

The doctor stood tall, stroking his mustache and grinning as new plans, brilliant, magnificent, marvelous plans flooded his mind. "There's one more world for me to conquer! Oh-ho-ho-ho!"

Now, he'd just have to get his OctoScramblers fixed, and then he'd use the Egg Stone to transport himself to the other dimension. He'd have to go and inspect the world that he'd soon be ruling! Without time to waste, Eggman headed as fast as he could to check on the production of the bots. It was time to cause some mayhem in this new world.

* * *

 **Original Dimension - Alternate Sonic, Original Amy**

After picking his girlfriend off the floor and drying her tears with kisses (yeah, he was kinda the perfect boyfriend), Sonic had settled on taking Amy out to cheer her up. Sure things were weird, but he'd have time for that later. Right now, Amy needed him and they were going to spend the day together. Whatever this odd stuff was, it could wait for tomorrow. Surely.

The only place Amy had wanted to go was to the mall, so that's where Sonic agreed to take her. As he pulled her into his arms and ran at dizzying speeds while carrying her bridal style, all Amy could feel was surreal. None of this felt real to her - as the world blurred around her and Sonic held her securely, she knew she should be happy. She should be thrilled, in ecstasy, beyond belief that she was finally spending time with her dreamy hedgehog. But all Amy felt was hollow and empty.

" _Snap out of it, Amy,_ " she scolded herself. " _This is what you've always wanted, isn't it? To be with Sonic? Be happy..._ "

But the normally happy girl was left fighting her own emotions. Sonic had been amazing, but would he stay like this? What if tomorrow he would go back to being the old, confusing, mysterious, frustrating guy that she just couldn't get enough of? And what was with the sudden personality change?

Sonic had come to a stop in front of the mall entrance, his sneakers squeaking as he set Amy down onto her boots. Part of him had always wanted to see how the girl would look in running shoes like him… oh well. He felt Amy take his hand and he gave hers a small squeeze while looking up at the mall entrance sign. His mind immediately wondered what it'd be like to run around the perimeter of the huge letters.

"Ya know, this isn't my normal hangout but could be fun," he said with a smile at his girl.

Amy had to smile back. She was still flip flopping between feeling like she was dreaming, and genuine joy. Sonic's hand fit so well in her; she'd gotten butterflies when he'd squeezed hers. And they were definitely about to go on a date! How many times had she begged him to go shopping with her? She'd have to try on clothes and make him blush… ohmygosh, this was about to actually happen!

The spunk back in her step, Amy started walking, pulling Sonic with her. "Well, let's go! I think I know where we can find cute blue dresses."

"I sure hope so." He winked at her.

As they walked along, Sonic was trying to suppress his natural urge to run. The last time he was in here with Amy, he'd used so many of the obstacles and features of the mall to do tricks while she was trying on clothes. And he would probably do so again.

"What are you thinking about?" Amy suddenly asked him, looking at him sideways.

"Ah, nothin'... say, how far away is this store? You tell me where it is and I'll take ya there in no time."

Amy couldn't help but giggle. She found everything about him, even his impatience, adorable. "No, let's just walk. I like holding your hand!"

He looked away in slight embarrassment, still amazed that Amy was the only one who could make him feel flustered. He had to come up with a witty comment to preserve his ego… but as his eyes drifted to the crowd around them, he couldn't help but notice nearly everyone they passed was staring at them. He was used to getting stares, but these seemed more surprised than anything.

Whatever. He spied a nearby pretzel stand, the smell making his stomach growl. Without a second thought, he pulled Amy with him to the front of the line and began ordering a snack for each of them. The sudden unexpected momentum caused Amy to nearly tumble to the ground.

"Sonic... " Amy wobbled back and forth, her mind still 20 feet away.

"Ah my bad, Ames, I just thought you might want a snack."

"Y-yeah, okay!" Recovering, Amy had to randomly hug Sonic. He was being so nice!

Sonic couldn't stop his blush from feeling Amy hug him. No matter how many times she did, it always felt amazing. And to think he used to run away from this girl…

With pretzels in hand, and Sonic now with something to stop him from running, the two hedgehogs made their way to the large anchor department store of the mall. While Amy saw aisles and aisles of clothing, all Sonic saw was ramps and places to jump off.

"Now, help me find that dress you like, Sonic!" Amy squealed in excitement, glad that Sonic was with her in her favorite store.

"Ah, okay." He disappeared in a rush of wind, leaving Amy stunned. Had he just ditched her? She was about to yell his name in anger, but he returned before she could even say the first syllable, his hands holding as many blue clothes as he could physically carry. He dumped them in a pile at Amy's feet, crossing his arms and grinning in success.

Amy couldn't help it - she burst out laughing. "Sonic, what… did you do?" she giggled, not believing her eyes. There had to be 50 dresses right in front of her, all Sonic's shade of blue. Had he really gone through the whole store and picked them out?

"I mean… I did what ya asked," he laughed, as her giggle was contagious.

"I know, but…I didn't expect, oh, Sonic!" she hugged him again, this time tightly, joy filling her heart. Being with Sonic was a bit more rowdy than she'd imagined and dreamed about, but somehow nearly perfect.

As she picked through the pile of clothes, though, she still felt that twinge of doubt in her heart. This didn't feel right, not at all. But she fought it, telling herself to enjoy Sonic while she had him. If this ended up being a trick, he would definitely meet the mean side of her hammer. And if not, Sonic was actually her boyfriend now! Either way, today had been so many amazing memories already.

While Amy tried on clothes, Sonic fulfilled his earlier thoughts of running laps around the mall. After a few hundred laps he'd check on her, amazed at seeing her wearing gorgeous dresses. He hadn't managed to find the exact dress he'd love to see on her, but she still put on plenty of outfits that showed off her amazing body and legs. He easily bought her several dresses that they both liked.

As Sonic and Amy left the department store, Amy now wearing a cute blue dress, Sonic got the idea to get himself another phone. Amy was still confused, but wasn't going to complain about getting to text Sonic hearts and cute things… However, before they could hit the electronics store, they were interrupted.

"Sonic, Amy!"

The two hedgehogs looked up at the sound of a familiar voice. A two-tailed fox suddenly descended from the second floor of the mall, using his tails as propellers to fly to their location, landing near a T-shirt kiosk.

"Tails, buddy, what's up?" Sonic asked, smiling at his best friend.

"Here you two are…" Tails couldn't help but stare at their hands… were they seriously holding hands? And they were at the mall? "Um…" he blushed. "I hope I'm not interrupting something..."

"We're just on a date, but what's up? Something happen?" Sonic asked casually.

The fox wanted to say something, desperately, but it'd have to wait for later. "I've detected a weird energy surge and a possible dimensional tear in our world. Probably Eggman related. You said you were bored, so, do you want to go check it out?"

Sonic immediately looked to Amy. As boring as the mall was, and as much as he'd love a good tussle with the doctor, he was with his girl now. And if he left her behind, he'd have to deal with her later. He'd made that mistake more than once, and paid for it.

"Sonic?" Tails prompted, not used to his hesitation. "I have the Tornado outside."

"Nah, Tails, you go on ahead, I'll catch up with you later."

Tails looked at him shock. "What..? You don't want to go?"

"No, I do, but not right now."

Tails couldn't help but stare at Amy, who was positively beaming, and staring at Sonic with hearts in her eyes, and Sonic was looking back with a similar expression. Okay, something weird was definitely happening.

"Sonic… can I talk to you for a minute?" Tails asked with gritted teeth.

"Sure, what is it?" Sonic asked, still holding Amy's hand.

"No, I mean, by ourselves.."

"Ah…" Sonic let go of Amy's hand. "I'll be right back, okay Ames? Promise."

The two brothers walked a little ways away from Amy. Once they were out of earshot, Tails looked at Sonic with a raised eyebrow.

"So, you start randomly dating Amy and don't even tell me? I know you do things on a whim, but this is unexpected even for you."

Sonic raised both hands in a shrug. "What do you mean? Everyone knows we're dating."

Tails just blinked at him. "Well… now that you mention it, everyone knows you _like_ her, but dating? Really?"

"Yeah, where have you been the past few weeks?"

"Fighting Eggman, with you."

"Well _yeah_ , but in our downtime, I've been seeing Amy. And I've told you as much. Why wouldn't I tell my lil bro?" Sonic grinned, but Tails was just looking at him with huge eyes and a lost expression.

"...I think we should go check out this dimensional tear. It might be worse than I expected," was all Tails said.

"I mean, I'd love ta, but I'm kinda busy…" Sonic turned around to look at Amy, and she gave him a wave before blowing him a kiss. He quickly turned back to Tails before his cheeks got any redder.

"Are you blushing?" Tails asked.

"W-w-w-maybe…" Sonic looked away, his arms crossed, only slightly mad that Amy could do this to him. He hated it when Tails teased him.

"Okay, who are you and what have you done with the real Sonic?" Tails demanded with his hands on his hips, only halfway kidding.

"Nah, I'm still me. But that girl, lemme tell ya, the things she _does_ to me…oh, _man_..." Sonic closed his eyes and a naughty grin crawled up his muzzle.

"Okay, please, spare me the details," Tails raised a hand. "But do you wanna go after Eggman or not?" Tails watched as Sonic looked back at the girl hedgehog. He sighed. "We can take Amy with us."

Sonic grinned. "You're a genius. Really. I'll convince her it'll be fun."

With that he rushed back to his girl, and Tails couldn't stop shaking his head. Sonic had gone suddenly love crazy. Okay, he could deal with this. As long as the hedgehog could still run fast and fight Eggman, they still had a chance to figure this out. Whatever it was…

* * *

 **Alternate Dimension - Original Sonic**

Sonic just had to get out of there. He was both comforted and disturbed by the fact he was merely in another dimension. He'd traversed many a world in his lifetime of exploring, but none that he'd visited were as eerily close to his own world as this one. Only a handful of things were different, just enough to annoy him. He knew his world like the back of his hand, but here, he'd been surprised and nearly run into a tree more than once. All of the major landmarks were the same, but the little details were throwing him for a loop. But that wasn't all…

He shrugged the thoughts of Amy out of his mind. Just like he always did. The girl was nothing but a _pain_. Any version of him that actually wanted to be with her couldn't be truly him. Could it? But what did it mean to _be_ him?

The fastest thing alive, the blue blur, the hero, the legend…

And to think in another life, he'd let himself be tied down to a girl? It didn't make sense to him. Either this guy that everyone thought was Sonic wasn't truly him, or… or what? He didn't like where his mind was going. Sonic hadn't ever thought much about Amy, period, and he couldn't stand how much she'd been in his thoughts. He didn't hate the girl, didn't even dislike her, but she could be so overbearing. It baffled him so much to think that a version of him could take a shine to her, even officially be her boyfriend. What did they even do on their "dates"? Were they somehow fun? What was it like to be with her, hold her close, kiss her…

Those pictures on that phone, of the two of them kissing, surfaced in his mind, and Sonic could only try and run faster to get them out of his mind's eye. Would he ever really do that? What would it feel like?

It baffled him, and yet, it baffled him how much it bothered him. Was it so weird? According to this world's Tails, he wasn't much different than the Sonic here. And if the Sonic here liked her, did that mean… deep down, he actually liked her? Ugh, no way. He didn't even want to explore anything remotely close to his feelings on the subject. Amy scared him, she made him nervous, and anxious. That was it. He was sure of it. There was no way he secretly wanted to kiss her. Yuck. All these thoughts were too much. Sonic wanted life to be simple, and any time Amy was thrown into the mix he just got confused. It was easier just to run from her and not let her have any ideas.

But while part of him just wanted to outrun his thoughts, part of him was definitely curious.

He sped up his pace even faster, wanting to reach Eggman's base as soon as he could. If his "team" here had decided they couldn't trust him, then he wouldn't trust them either. He could work alone if he had to, but there was no way in hell he was staying in this eerie dimension.

Sonic had to do some serious searching, though, to track down the doctor; in his world,

Eggman's new factories and base was to the west, but here, they could be anywhere. After he covered what he thought was the whole planet, Sonic finally spied a lone outpost nestled in some lowland hills. It had all the trappings of Eggman's base: a perimeter of sentry turrets (which he destroyed with ease), your standard alarm system with heat seeking missiles (which made Sonic yawn), and a locked security door (that was no match for his spindash). Man, the Eggman of this world was lazy…

Coming face to face with his arch-nemesis, standing in some sort of lab with computer monitors lining every wall, Sonic clenched his fists and glared at Eggman.

"Alright Eggman, time to spill the beans! What did you do to me?"

"Sonic! What are you doing here?" The doctor nervously backed up, climbing towards his Egg Mobile so he could get to safety. The wretched hedgehog had destroyed his defenses with annoying ease. Why had he come, anyway?

"I just wanna know what's going on! Where am I?"

Well, this was new. Sonic asking him for information? How could he play this to his advantage? Somehow, the hedgehog was confused. This could be the big break he'd been waiting for years for… what lie could he tell?

But before Eggman could open his mouth to respond, a blinding light engulfed and blinded his vision, and he was brought to his knees from a gigantic booming sound in his ears.

A sudden flash of light! The same as before! Sonic squeezed his eyes shut. " _Not again… wait, don't I want to go back?_ " Before he could question his own motives too much, the light was gone, and Sonic opened his eyes to see… nothing had changed. Eggman was still standing in front of him, looking like the goofy villain that he was.

"What was that, Eggface? I'm not leaving without answers!"

Blinking behind his dark glasses, and still recovering from the transport, the Original Eggman's heart sank when he saw what was in front of him. That wretched hedgehog – he could never be free from him, not even in another world. Out of all the times he could have chosen to go to another world, it had to be when Sonic was confronting him on the other end.

"Hey, I'm talking to you. What's the deal?" Sonic kept demanding.

He'd have to think of something, now. But where even was he? Some sort of lab, or computer room. Where were his defensive controls? Where was his robot army? Did his counterpart in this world not have any work or weapons to speak of?

And come to think of it… where were his OctoScramblers, or the control panel, or the Egg Stone? Had they not traveled the gap with him? His calculations said that they would… if they hadn't, he was in big trouble. No more time for thoughts - Sonic was suddenly bouncing around the room, smashing his computers and furniture to bits. Oh shit - His Egg Mobile! Eggman dived for his escape pod and ascended as quickly as possible. He engaged the top shield and flew directly through the roof of his lab, bracing himself for Sonic to jump up to him.

"No, come back here!" He heard Sonic yell at him, but Eggman was already flying away. The doctor looked down to see Sonic below him, scowling, apparently not able to reach him at this altitude. He breathed a small sigh, knowing he'd barely escaped. He needed to recover, figure out what was really going on. Yes, this had all been a mistake - well, a miscalculation. According to the simulation he'd run, everything should have come with him. And yet, it didn't. The more he was learning about the Egg Stone, and the more he thought he understood it, the more it baffled him and behaved in unexpected ways. When he'd unearthed it nearly 6 months ago, he knew he'd hit the jackpot, but now?

Well, now, he was left in an unfamiliar world with no power source, no robots, no army, and not even a base to his name. He put the Egg Mobile on autopilot, and to his relief, saw " _Traveling to nearest base - 45 miles_ " appear on the console. Well, that was something. Eggman had definitely been put in worse spots. He'd just have to figure out a way to find the Egg Stone of this world, and recreate the plans for the OctoScrambler from memory. And then? An optimistic grin came over his face, and he sneered.

Then he'd be able to take over not only one world, but _two_.

* * *

 **A little bit of something for everything in this chapter, a bit of plot, a bit of romance… the story is coming along, and I'm super excited for what's to come, I got big plans! It might become a little difficult to follow some of this, so I'm trying to keep it as clear as possible which dimension (and which version of the characters) we're dealing with. As always, if you have questions, feel free to ask!**


	4. Earth and Sky

_NeckBreak, The Game Nguyener, IT'S NO USE I'M OUTTA USE, SpeedsMyGame, Anmynous:_

 _Thanks for the reviews. This story is getting complicated… but I'm enjoying writing every bit of it! (Even though it seems like I can only binge-write these chapters in one sitting.) Glad you guys love it too._

 _Now, let's get more of Amy's view on things, shall we?_

* * *

Chapter 4: Earth and Sky

* * *

 ** _"_** _"Sonic, we can't fight him!" Tails shouted. "I still don't know what those robots do! You can't attack it!"_

 _Sonic was never one to run from a fight. He remained in his spindash, building up energy and ready to release it at any moment. His anger was growing, and he wanted nothing more than to pummel the bots and Eggman himself._

 _"Stop, Sonic, you can't! It might send you to another dimension, and we need you here! Please…" Tails kept begging him to stop. "Let's figure this out first…"_

* * *

 **Alternate Dimension - Alternate Amy, Alternate Cream**

After borrowing an energy scanner from Tails, Amy Rose set off to Cream's house to ask for her help finding the energy source that powered Eggman's dimensional switcher. Once she'd explained the situation to the rabbit, Cream was happy to come along. The two friends decided they'd first stop at Angel Island to recruit Knuckles to the cause.

Amy held on firmly to Cream's hands as the rabbit's ears flew them towards the floating island. The feeling of weightlessness momentarily made her stomach leap, but she quickly adjusted to feeling nothing but air under her feet. Cream was an expert flyer as her ears were crazy strong, and they'd traveled like this plenty of times. While normally chatty with her best friend, Amy couldn't help but be lost in thought. As the ground and familiar landmarks shrank below them, her thoughts went back to Sonic, as they usually did.

Now that her Sonic was so far away, her heart ached with an unfamiliar feeling of longing. Sure, Sonic often went on adventures and battles without her, but she knew he'd always come back to her when they were finished. He was always just a text away. It was comforting to know he'd always come save her if she was in trouble… but who would save her now? Who would hold her, comfort her, and encourage her now?

That other hedgehog… he'd been a real jerk to her back there, hadn't he? Not wanting to go with her, or help her, and just running off, all after throwing his phone to the ground. He'd looked genuinely scared, and even upset. Who exactly was this other guy claiming to be her Sonic? She couldn't quite put her finger on why, but this other hedgehog was infuriating, rude, a jerk, and so many other things she didn't have words for. It was almost as if he reminded her of how her Sonic used to be...

No, now that her Sonic was gone, and she couldn't depend on this other guy, she'd have to step up and be a hero herself. That's what her Sonic had always encouraged her to do. Since they'd gotten together, he'd made sure to watch over her, but also made sure that she was well equipped to take care of herself. They'd even trained together sometimes. Now it was her turn to save him and bring him back.

Once they were several hundred meters in the air, Cream's voice broke Amy's thoughts.

"Amy, what did you say happened to Mr. Sonic?"

She looked up at the rabbit. "Tails thinks he's been swapped with another version of himself, from another dimension."

"Oh…" the rabbit's cute face turned into a frown, then a smile. "Well, if Mr. Tails thinks that, it's probably true."

Amy looked up at the underside of Angel Island, her eyes tracing the rocky sculptures. "It's kinda weird to think that there's another me out there somewhere, and another you," Amy commented.

"Well, I hope the other me is happy. And I'm sure they're working hard to save the world, just like we are!"

Her positive attitude made a smile reluctantly form on Amy's muzzle, and she squeezed Cream's hands. She couldn't ask for a better friend.

As the two of them reached the top of the island, they looked down to spy the lone echidna standing guard. On an island so full of green grass, his red form was easy to spot. Cream guided them near the Master Emerald and its guardian.

"Knuckles!" Amy called out as they gently landed on the soft grass.

"Amy, Cream. What brings you girls up here?" Knuckles nodded to them as they walked up. "Something wrong with Sonic and Tails?"

"Well, it's pretty complicated," Amy said and she filled him on the dimensions and Sonic's switched identity.

Knuckles scrunched his face in confusion. "Wait, so you're saying that there is another dimension, where there is another copy of Sonic? And the two switched places?"

Cream nodded. "That's what Mr. Tails thinks."

"Hm. And you're saying this other Sonic ran off without you? Seems about right." The echidna crossed his arms, resting his giant hands on his biceps.

"What do you mean? Sonic never leaves us behind!" Amy protested, glaring at him.

"Wait, Amy, please don't fight," Cream gently touched her arm, and Amy looked away with a scowl. "Mr. Knuckles, we're here because we need your help."

"What exactly do you need?"

Now calmed down, Amy showed Knuckles the device Tails had given her. "We need to track down the energy source of whatever Eggman used to switch the two Sonics, before our Eggman gets to it. We can use this thing to track weird energy signatures nearby. Because you know so much about the Chaos Emeralds, I feel like you could help us out."

Knuckles turned to look at the gigantic green emerald sitting at the apex of his island. He couldn't feel any dissonance within it, so he shook his head. "Whatever it is, it's not related to the Emeralds. Sonic has all of them, right?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Alright. Any ideas where we should look first?"

The girls looked at each other, and then looked down and shook their heads.

"Perfect. Well, better get going." Knuckles began to jog before breaking into a glide to make his way off of the floating island.

Cream took Amy's hands before quickly flapping her ears and following after him.

"The scanner will beep from my pocket if it detects something, that's what Tails said," Amy let her friends know. "But we'll have to land so I can look at it."

The three heroes traveled by air for several hours, crossing several dozen zones, and waiting to hear anything from Tails' scanner.

"It's gonna take us forever to find this thing," Amy pouted a bit. "If only Sonic were here, he could find it quickly…"

"Yeah, and we're stuck doing Sonic's dirty work. No surprise there." Knuckles kept his gaze concentrated forward.

"It may not be anywhere near here," Cream said. "We may have to try again tomorrow."

Knuckles shook his head. "We have several hours of daylight left. Let's keep looking."

After nearly another hour of searching, Tails' scanner finally started beeping.

"Oh, finally!" Amy shouted. "Let's land and check it out."

The three of them looked down as they descended, but saw nothing but flat grasslands with small shrubs and sparse trees. The ground itself was light brown and parched. As they got closer and closer to the ground, the energy scanner began beeping furiously, sounding like a geiger counter.

"Yay, we found it!" Cream smiled as she set Amy on the ground and landed beside her.

The three of them looked around, but saw only miles of flatland around them, no mountains or obvious mining spots.

"If there's a gem of some kind here, it'll be underground," Knuckles eyed the dirt beneath his feet. He leaned down on his knees and began digging, his powerful fists displacing volumes of dirt. It felt dry, as if hadn't rained here in weeks. They _were_ near the edge of the desert. The hole around the echidna grew as he dug for several more minutes.

"Anything we can do to help, Mr. Knuckles?" Cream called to him.

"No," Knuckles shouted back, and then poked his head up. "Well, you can let Tails know this is here. Tell him to bring the Tornado. This might be deep underground. He might have some other ideas."

Amy pocketed the scanner. "Okay, Cream, let's head back. Maybe So-... that other hedgehog is back, too."

As Knuckles dug deeper underground, Amy and Cream flew back to get some help.

* * *

 **Original Dimension - Alternate Sonic, Original Amy, Original Tails**

Amy had come to love riding in the Tornado. Feeling the wind in her quills, the thrill of going fast, and of course the lovely views of the sky and clouds around her. And speaking of the view, having Sonic himself ride in front of her on the wings of the plane certainly didn't hurt her eyes any. Several times he'd turn around just to wink at her, and Amy was sure her heart was going to melt to a mere puddle by the end of the day. She couldn't handle this much of Sonic being nice to her.

They were going to check out an apparent dimensional tear that was likely caused by Eggman, but Amy's mind was never too far away from her blue hero. She'd always gone wherever Sonic did, whether that was into danger or not. She didn't care if she was put in harm's way - as she knew she could swing a mean hammer, and if that didn't work, Sonic would be there to save her. In fact, she wouldn't mind having to face some bots as long as Sonic would hold her in his arms again…

"I think we're getting close," Tails said from the cockpit of their plane. He looked over the side of the plane to search the ground. "See anything, Sonic?"

"Huh?" The male hedgehog responded, suddenly tearing his eyes from Amy.

"Do you see anything, any signs of Eggman or anything weird?"

"Oh…"

If Tails hadn't been holding the pilot controls, he would have face palmed. What had gotten into his best friend?

"Wait, down there, Tails! Looks like some bots… let's get 'em," Sonic grinned, and just like that, Tails had him back.

Tails guided his plane downwards, looking for somewhere to land among the sea of trees below. He finally spied the bots Sonic had been talking about among the forest - eight of them, in fact. They looked almost animal like, with 4 legs and tripods for feet, certainly not built for speed. Their "faces" were flat and only had three purplish squares, but Tails couldn't figure out their function. Output devices, maybe? They didn't look like something Eggman would normally make, didn't have his signature style. They also didn't look like they had any weapons attached, unless they were well hidden.

He pulled the Tornado up in a clearing nearby, and the three of them jumped out to face the enemies.

"Sonic let's not attack them just yet, I want to figure out what they're made for," Tails said as they ran through the trees, avoiding fallen logs and piles of leaves.

"You got it, buddy." He offered him a thumbs up.

"They look really weird," Amy commented as they peeked at them behind the trees.

"Wait, these look just like the bots I fought earlier today, destroyed them with ease," Sonic said as he ran around to inspect them. "They're definitely Eggman's."

"Oh-ho-ho-ho!" a booming trademark laugh echoed in the forest.

"Well, that answers our question," Tails muttered.

Dr. Eggman floated near the ground in his Egg Mobile, wearing a smirk. "Oh Sonic, it's nice to see you've joined our party! Would you like some refreshments?"

"Heh," Sonic smirked back and crossed his arms. "Looks like a pretty lame party to me! I think even you could beat these rust buckets in a race."

"Of course you fail to see the brilliance of my creations!"

While Sonic and Eggman had their normal banter, Amy couldn't help but notice the control panel that Eggman was holding in his hands. It was a weird thing for her to notice, but on top of the tablet sat a circular container holding a bright pink gem. It didn't have the same cut as a Chaos Emerald, and was more circular and flat, but held a similar shine. She felt an odd attraction to it, and turned to Tails.

"Tails, you see what Eggman is holding? What is that?" She pointed up at the doctor.

Tails squinted. "Hm, I'm not sure. Looks like an input device."

"No, no, the gem - you don't see that?"

"Oh, that! Good eyes, Amy. We've never seen that before, have we?"

The girl shook her head, her pink quills bouncing. "I don't think so…"

"Yeah yeah, you know I already defeated these same robots earlier today. While I'm runnin' circles around you, yer runnin' out of ideas!" Sonic quipped.

Eggman smirked. "Oh, you still haven't realized it. How sad and pathetic how small your mind is."

"Haven't realized what? That you still haven't beaten me after all these years?"

"But I have. And you don't even realize it. How perfect!" Eggman cackled.

Iif Tails hadn't given him a warning look that he needed more time, Sonic would have smashed the bots to bits already. His legs were itching to move, and he hopped from side to side to get out his energy. He couldn't stand to listen to yet more of Eggman's droning on and on in that annoying voice. Come to think of it, why hadn't he attacked yet? Sonic looked over at Amy and saw her staring at Eggman with a confused look. What was she thinking?

"I can't believe you still don't know!" Eggman was still talking. "Oh-ho-ho! Well, let me let you in on a secret. You and I, we aren't from this world. Thanks to this ingenious design of my OctoScramblers, we have been able to cross into a different world, a different dimension! Both you and I are travelers! Isn't that wonderful? The implications of what I can do is beyond your own comprehension."

Tails eyes got wide and Amy gasped, but Sonic shook his head.

"What are you blabbering on about, Eggman? What do you mean a different dimension? This looks like home to me."

"I mean that there exists a dimension, that we're in now, that is so alike to our own, yet with slight differences. The version of Sonic that belongs here has gone to our world, and you have entered this other world. You're in the wrong place, hedgehog. And while I may not be from here either, I'll be sure to the ruler of it in no time!"

"No way!" Sonic immediately yelled back, but Eggman's words had the ring of truth that he couldn't deny.

"Why do you think we trust a single word you say, Eggman?" Amy glared at the doctor with her hands on her hips.

Eggman couldn't help but gloat. "Ask your boyfriend, sweetheart. I'm sure he's noticed the difference in this world compared to ours. I'm sure you've felt certain things as, hmm, odd?"

Sonic froze. No way. He couldn't believe this… or that he hadn't noticed or realized it by now. This was a different dimension? Another world? It didn't make sense, and yet, suddenly it all made sense - the way he'd been kidnapped earlier, how the landmarks and features in this world were in different places, and Amy -

He looked at the girl, her eyes wide as well. She had been staring at him with those lovely green eyes, hoping that he could deny this was the truth. He didn't know. If he was truly in the wrong dimension, which is what his gut was telling him… the horrible implication dawned on him. He didn't care about this being a different world, as he'd been to several different ones and always made it home. No, he had just realized something even worse.

It meant this girl in front of him, this lovely rose, the hedgehog he'd thought he loved and had taken on a date and held hands with and kissed… wasn't his Amy. This was simply a girl who was in love with a different version of himself. Her emotions today, for once, were finally making sense to him. Her shock, her denial, her weird comments about him being a jerk to her. Did that mean, the Sonic of this world wasn't with her? Had he just cheated on his girlfriend? His mind was processing information at record speed and it was making him feel sick.

"Oh-ho-ho, it looks like I've finally made Sonic the Hedgehog stand still from shock!"

He snapped out of it, and curled himself into a spindash. " _Eggman_!"

"Sonic, we can't fight him!" Tails shouted. "I still don't know what those robots do! You can't attack it!"

Sonic was never one to run from a fight. He remained in his spindash, building up energy and ready to release it at any moment. His anger was growing, and he wanted nothing more than to pummel the bots and Eggman himself.

"Stop, Sonic, you can't! It might send you to another dimension, and we need you here! Please…" Tails kept begging him to stop. "Let's figure this out first…"

He kept revving his body in a ball, creating an overwhelming amount of momentum. He was fighting the rational part of his mind that was saying Tails was right. But it wasn't until she spoke, her voice just as lovely as his own Amy's, that he was able to pull himself back.

"Sonic, please, he's right… I don't want to lose you…"

In one motion, Sonic kept the momentum of his spindash, but broke out of his ball to begin running as soon as he was right side up. He instantly grabbed both Tails and Amy by their hands and rushed them back to the Tornado.

"Tails, fly," he said in a rush as he put both of his friends into the plane. He jumped on the wings as he looked back at Eggman's robots. The sound of the evil doctor's laughter rang in his ears, making his ears bleed.

As they ascended, Sonic was feeling lost in his own thoughts. He was a traveler of worlds, an explorer of outer space and more dimensions than he could count - so why was this one affecting him so much? Why did he feel so confused?

"Is it really true, Sonic?" The girl hedgehog behind him couldn't help but ask.

But Sonic couldn't even turn to look at her. This wasn't his Amy. Hell, the pilot of this plane was not even his Tails. How had he not realized it sooner?

* * *

 **Alternate Dimension - Alternate Tails, Original Sonic, Alternate Amy, Alternate Cream**

He'd gone over his calculations several times, and Tails kept coming back to his original conclusion. This Sonic was definitely from another dimension. However, he still had no idea what had caused the tear in the first place. He needed more information, and was hoping Amy would get back to him soon. But it had been several hours. He'd tuned the energy scanner to a specific frequency, similar to his Chaos Emerald scanner, as he knew only items of a certain power could cause a dimensional breach.

Still, nothing. As much as he loved math, it was time for a break. After taking a moment to stretch his arms, Tails flew into his kitchen to grab a few pieces of mint candy. He looked off into the distance at the trees around his home, his mind still doing mental math. Tails couldn't help but notice the leaves start fiercely blowing in a different direction, and before he could even think to open his mouth, Sonic was in front of him.

"Tails, now I know that we're right. Eggman's figured out a way to cross dimensions."

He lifted his hands. "Whoa, slow down. What do you mean?"

"I just saw what happened to me, happen to Eggman," Sonic explained. "I went to fight him to see what he knew, but there was the same flash of light. I think the Eggman of my world is here, and they swapped places."

"But… why?" Tails asked, looking up at the ceiling and sucking on his candy. "If he's behind this, why would he swap himself?"

"Who knows that that guy thinks. I just know what I saw."

"Well," Tails chomped into the candy, the mint crushed between his teeth. He used his namesakes to propel himself back to his workshop. "This throws a new wrinkle in things… "

Sonic followed him in. "Did you figure anything out?"

Tails brought up his reports. "Yes and no. Amy's gone to find the power source."

Sonic paused. "By herself?"

"She's getting Cream and Knuckles to help her."

"Oh…"

"I haven't heard back from her yet, they might still be looking."

Just then, his door knocked. Sonic felt his heart leap unexpectedly when he realized that Amy was here.

"Well, what a coincidence," Tails said. "Us all being done at the same time…"

Amy and Cream entered Tails house and explained that they'd found what might be the power source and that Knuckles was digging for it.

"Well, let's go check it out," Sonic said and smiled. "Nice work, Ames."

Amy couldn't help but blush at his words and voice, but she tried to get herself to stop. Her feelings for her own Sonic were powerful enough, she couldn't share her heart with yet another… even if the two looked and acted nearly the same.

"Let's go in the Tornado, guys!" Tails smiled, glad to get away from his computer for a while. "Cream, are you coming too?"

"Of course, I'd be happy to come," Cream smiled at Tails and followed him into the Tornado's hangar.

Amy turned and was about to follow them, but Sonic's voice made her stop.

"Amy, listen… can we talk for a second?"

She inhaled and released a big sigh. She turned around and raised her brow at him. "Now you want to talk to me."

"Yeah, listen, I… oh boy," Sonic let out a big sigh as he saw her impatient expression. He had to apologize to her if they were going to work together. Still, it felt weird to actually have a conversation with the girl. Even if she wasn't the girl he was used to. She seemed, stronger, almost. Not obsessed with him at all. Why did that bother him so much? Okay, his mind was wandering. "I-I was a jerk to ya back there, okay? I know. And I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said those things. It's just been an odd day and I don't feel like myself."

Amy merely kept staring at him, unimpressed, and trying to control her emotions. "Okay."

He offered her his hand and smile. "Can we just agree to get along for now?"

The pink hedgehog looked down at his gloved hand, and part of her wanted to take it. She really wasn't that mad at him, but she still didn't trust him. It was nice to see him being kind again, though. Normally Amy was very quick to forgive and trust people, but this guy had broken her heart in just a few moments of meeting her. He was a fake version of her boyfriend.

Even though her better judgement told her she should, Amy didn't reach for his hand.

She crossed her arms. "I'll help you get my Sonic back, but that's it."

Sonic smiled playfully, withdrawing his hand. "So I have to earn your trust, huh? Well, this is new. Good thing I like a challenge," his eyes glittered with mischief, and Amy hated how much she loved looking at him. "Let's go kick Eggman's behind, yeah?"

Amy raised her hand. "After you."

"Oh, no, ladies first," Sonic insisted, his charming smile irresistible.

The girl let out a frustrated sigh as she headed to the hangar. Sonic was way too cute for her to hope of winning. This was going to be one hell of a mission.


	5. Sunken Hearts

_Samantha27, NeckBreak, IT'S NO USE I'M OUTTA USE, SpeedsMyGame, Kampfer, YGquan_ _: Yay to my awesome reviewers! You guys rock! :)_

 _This chapter is going to have a lot of action/adventure stuff in it… and I will say that I've never been great at writing action. However, the past few days I've been replaying some old Sonic games (SADX, Sonic 1, and Sonic 2) and giving myself ideas of how to write these characters fighting and working as a team. So I hope you enjoy this chapter, and please give me any feedback about my action writing. I'd love to get better!_

 _And those of you here mostly for the romance, don't worry, I have plenty of moments here for you, too. :D (And many more to come!)_

* * *

Chapter 5: Sunken Hearts

* * *

 _"Hey lover boy, why are you standing still?" Knuckles shouted at him._

 _Sonic immediately resumed running to make the tornadoes, knowing his blue blur would hide his blush. He wasn't quite sure what had come over him today - but he'd been thinking about Amy almost constantly._

* * *

 **Original Dimension - Alternate Sonic, Original Tails, Original Amy**

The wind whipped through Amy's quills and her ears popped as they gained altitude, but she barely noticed anything around her. Her eyes were trained on the back of Sonic's head, and she admired his perfect blue quills with a numb aching heart. She couldn't believe this… the hedgehog in front of her… he wasn't who she thought. This whole day, which felt like something out of her dreams, where he'd been so kind and nice… turns out it wasn't her Sonic after all. It had been a mistake, a misunderstanding.

She should have known it was too good to be true… deep down, Amy believed Sonic loved her, he was just too shy, or he didn't want her to get hurt, or _something_. But he did love her, and one day he'd finally show that. But now, after seeing what this Sonic had done for her, and how he treated her, Amy was having serious doubts about her own Sonic's feelings.

If he really loved her, why didn't he do the things this Sonic did? Why did he not take her out, treat her nicely, or even give her the time of day? Why was he so rude to her and always ran away whenever she approached him? No matter what she did and how hard she tried, he was always the same. Why, Sonic?

Amy had spent years, _years_ , chasing after the blue hedgehog, her head full of dreams and hopes. Knowing, deep down in her heart of hearts, that Sonic would one day be hers. She'd always believed, always stayed positive, and never let anything get her down or distract her from her ultimate goal.

But now, she'd been given a taste of what being with Sonic was like. She'd held his hand, even kissed him - only for it all to be a lie. Some other look-a-like hedgehog from another world had swept her off her feet, and she'd fallen for him. And now, the cold, hard hand of reality had slapped her in the face.

There was no way her Sonic loved her.

Amy pushed her lips together and held back fresh tears that tugged at her eyelids.

The Tornado finally landed near Tails' workshop, and while the boys immediately hopped out and headed inside, Amy remained seated for another moment. Sonic didn't even stay to help her out, so she had to climb out herself. She slowly walked inside, her moist eyes staring at the rocks on the ground. As she entered, she managed to overhear the conversation between Sonic and Tails.

"Sonic, I'm gonna need some time to figure all of this out. Like, maybe a few weeks," Tails said as he rubbed his temples.

That was fine with Sonic. He needed to run, clear his head, and figure out what was going on with him. He was confused, and for some reason, angry. The only thing that could make him feel better was a romp around the planet.

"Alright Tails. I'll be back in a bit."

Sonic was about to rush out the door when Amy spoke and stopped him.

"Sonic?"

 _No_. He didn't want to talk to this girl now. He didn't even want to think about what they'd done together. He felt an uncomfortable shudder come over him as he realized he'd actually cheated on his own girl. Even if it was with her look-a-like, he'd just rushed in, not taken the time to make sure it was her. He'd been selfish, and short-sighted.

In fact, he hadn't even investigated or noticed that this wasn't his own world. He'd had that gut feeling, but instead of trusting it, he'd gone out with Amy instead. He'd been dumb. That was it - he was neglecting things that had always been important to him, like adventuring and fighting Eggman, in favor of making Amy happy. And it wasn't even his Amy.

His foot began tapping almost involuntarily, and Sonic would have to run. Those thoughts had crossed his mind in only a few seconds, but he needed to make the world blur around him to think. Or more like, to _stop_ thinking.

"Sonic, can we talk, please?"

He let out a sigh. This may not be his Amy, but he didn't have it in his heart to leave her behind. He wanted to be selfish, but Amy's sweet voice tugged at his heartstrings. Sonic turned to face her, his own heart dropping when he saw the tears in her eyes. He couldn't stand tears. His face softened.

"Whaddya wanna talk about?"

"Are you really from another world?"

"Yeah, seems like it."

"And my Sonic… he's in your world."

"Guess so."

The two hedgehogs continued to awkwardly stand in Tails' workshop, staring at the various gizmos and gadgets he had lying around, anything to keep from looking at each other. A moment passed as if an eternity, with a room so silent they could hear each other breathing.

"Well… you wanna go get somethin' to eat?" Sonic really wasn't hungry, but couldn't stand still for another moment. In the corner of his eye, he saw Amy nod, and that was enough for him.

* * *

 **Alternate Dimension - Alternate Knuckles, (Original Sonic, Alternate Tails, Alternate Amy, Alternate Cream)**

Knuckles was getting very familiar with the ground in this area of the world. After working the past hour or so, he'd managed to dig a hole about the size of a swimming pool using only his fists. The ground was easy to work with, and he didn't even feel slightly tired as he displaced the earth.

Of course it was up to Knuckles to do the dirty work. Not that he really minded, and right now he was the echidna for the job. He didn't even mind Amy and Cream leaving him out here alone; in fact, he preferred it.

However, he had no idea how far down this power source was, or what it even looked like once he found it. He was assuming it was similar to the Chaos Emeralds, but all he'd found as far as he'd dug was dry, reddish brown dirt and clay. He just hoped he was digging in the right spot, and had considered asking Amy to leave the scanner behind, but she'd insisted on holding onto it. She was the only person he knew more stubborn than himself.

After a pleasant amount of time with just himself, Knuckles' thoughts were broken by a loud booming voice.

But unfortunately, it wasn't his friends.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here? Could it be Knuckles?"

 _Oh no…_

Knuckles climbed to the top of the hole and peeked over the edge. To no surprise, he saw Dr. Eggman floating in his Egg Mobile, hovering over a giant army of bots. There were the standard fare of heavy clunkers and flying hunks of metal. But what really captured Knuckles attention was the gigantic drill that towered above all others. Held up by four massive pillars for legs, the drill itself looked like it could tear the earth open in minutes.

So, Eggman was here for the power source too. And until his friends got back, Knuckles would have to take them out himself. He let out a breath. No problem.

"Such a strange place to be digging there, Knuckles."

"Eggman, why don't you just attack me and we'll get this over with," Knuckles said with no-nonsense. "I know you're here for the power source."

"Oh, so it is here! Perfect. Now, where is that annoying blue hedgehog? Weird of your friends to leave you here alone, hmm?"

"No," Knuckles said as he forcefully jumped out of the hole. "I'll handle you myself!"

The echidna launched himself at the army, and the bots quickly mobilized. The giant drill slowly rolled towards the hole he'd already dug, but Knuckles couldn't hope to take it on himself when the other bots would be all after him. However, the pillars would work great for him to take the high ground. Knuckles pushed his fists forward to propel himself in a glide, aiming for the nearest pillar. He focused his eyes over the top of his white gloves to steer himself correctly. Along the way, he managed to punch a few of the flying bots Eggman had sent after him, tearing through their metal structures with ease.

After sailing through the air, Knuckles latched onto the pillar and began climbing higher, punching his fists into red metal and pulling himself up. Before he could make it to the top, he found himself dodging several laser shots aimed at him from the grounded clunkers. He used his legs to push himself off the pillar and glided around the perimeter of the drill, avoiding lasers to his left and right. This was about to get even more difficult.

He kept gliding laps around the massive drill, punching out any clunkers or flying bots that got in his way. He felt as if he was barely doing enough to keep the badniks at bay, meanwhile the drill itself was already in position over the hole he'd created. The spiral bored into the ground, displacing what seemed like tons of dirt with its pointy tip.

Finally, Knuckles heard the familiar whizzing sound of the Tornado. He looked up to the sky, nodding at the sight of the bright red plane and the blue figure riding fearlessly on the wings.

"Knuckles!" Tails called down to him. "We're here to help!"

"About time," the echidna grumbled as he completed yet another lap around the drill.

"That's a lot of mean robots," Cream commented as she looked down with wide eyes. She hugged Cheese close to her chest.

"We'll take care of 'em!" Sonic shouted confidently and jumped off the wings, rolling himself into a ball. He had to help Knuckles as soon as he could, there was no time to waste.

As the hedgehog rolled through the air towards Knuckles, he noticed something when he happened to be facing the sky. Amy had jumped after him! From so far away, and so high up! What was she thinking?

He pulled himself out of the ball and turned to face her, knowing he'd have to catch her. There was no way Amy could stick the landing when jumping from so high up. He reached up his arms towards her, but she merely scowled down at him.

"Sonic, what are you doing?"

"Yer gonna fall, but don't worry, I'll catch ya!" Remembering he was trying to impress her, he grinned.

Amy appeared less than impressed. "I'm not falling. Get out of my way!"

While in midair, the girl began spinning her hammer in a circle, creating a small whirlwind underneath her. She twirled to the ground before turning her body to complete a frontflip, swinging her hammer in front of her. Amy fell with her hammer first, and when the mallet hit the ground, it created a minor shockwave, knocking a few ground clunkers over.

As Sonic was falling, he found he couldn't take his eyes off of her. Where had she learned moves like that? Sonic realized he'd been trying to impress the girl, but she'd ended up impressing him. Wow.

"You guys need to get that huge drill down," Tails called from above in the Tornado, breaking Sonic's thoughts. "I'll take out what I can from up here."

"Yeah - Knuckles and Amy, you guys get up there and pound at it, I'll take the perimeter and deal with Eggman," Sonic called out.

"Got it," Amy and Knuckles confirmed.

Using her hammer again, Amy cleared the ground of clunkers, smashing their metal bodies to bits. Sonic dealt with the flying bots, and attracted the attention of the lasers away from Knuckles so he could climb.

Meanwhile, Knuckles punched into one of the legs of the drill, climbing to the top. Now that Sonic was distracting the attacks and taking out most of the missile bots, it was an easy climb. Standing at the top of column, he jumped off to glide to the large drill and landed easily on the top vaulting. As he punched into the top of the drill, he could slowly feel the massive tool becoming loose on its hinges. But it would take more work before he could get it to come down.

Tails flew his plane high, giving air firepower and callouts to the ground force. Cream rode with him in the backseat, giving her own callouts and encouragement. In fact, in a brief moment of reprieve, as Tails was circling the plane around, he felt her soft hand on his shoulder. He turned around only to be greeted with a cute smile.

"You're doing a great job, Tails."

Her sweet voice warmed his heart.

"Thanks," he turned back around to try and focus his attention and guns back to the fight, but her nice smile and big brown eyes lingered in the back of his mind.

As Sonic ran around the perimeter, taking out the main defense force, he felt something odd under his shoes. The ground itself was shaking, becoming less stable, as if affected by a minor earthquake. The more he looked around, he couldn't see anything that could be causing the shaking, but he knew what stable ground felt like to run on, and this was anything but. The Drill itself was starting to come loose thanks to the powerful punches by his echidna friend.

So why was the ground still shaking, even as he ran far away from the drill?

An idea formed in his head, and Sonic changed direction on a dime, starting a path of a tight circle. The wind began picking up around him, creating a mini tornado in his path. As he did so, he looked at the blustering winds, and noticed tiny pieces of debris floating through the air, creating an insect swarm-looking effect. Sonic stopped running for a moment, and the swarm seemed to disappear as the objects dispersed and fell to the ground.

"Tails are you seein' this?" He called up to his friend as he raced to catch a few of the pieces in his hands.

"What is it Sonic?"

"These bugs!" The hedgehog built up some speed before jumping as high as he could, and Tails guided the Tornado down towards him.

Sonic landed on the wing and bent over to show Tails the small black thing in the palm of his glove. He squinted.

"That's a microbot! A mini drill!"

"Could that be what's causing the ground to shake?"

"Maybe - I bet they're drilling the ground as well -" HIs blue eyes lit up. "Eggman's trying to distract us! These microbots are what are really digging into the ground - he's trying to make the whole area cave in!"

"Okay, I'm on it!" Sonic jumped back to the ground and resumed making the tornadoes to slightly unearth the small bots. But as many tornadoes as he could make, the bots resumed their digging. The ground was becoming more and more unstable as he ran, and Sonic could feel the slight changes under his feet. Knuckles and Amy didn't seem to be aware, but they were busy with their own tasks. Knuckles was giving the giant drill hell, and he could see the contraption shake more with every punch. And Amy was taking care of the bots near the pillars, smashing them and taking shots at the legs of the drill when she could.

He couldn't help but take a moment to watch the girl move - she was jumping around and swinging her hammer like nobody's business. He felt himself smiling as he watched her, as he'd never seen Amy be so athletic and capable before. Or maybe he'd just never noticed.

"Hey lover boy, why are you standing still?" Knuckles shouted at him.

Sonic immediately resumed running to make the tornadoes, knowing his blue blur would hide his blush. He wasn't quite sure what had come over him today - but he'd been thinking about Amy almost constantly.

He didn't like it.

It was time to focus and get back to business. However, it seemed his tornado attacks couldn't dislodge the bots already underground, and he had no easy way of digging to them. If he used his spindash to bore into the ground, it would only make things more unstable…

"Tails I can't do anything, there are too many!" He called out to his team. "You guys need to clear out of here - the ground is going to collapse - I can feel it already!"

"This drill is almost down!" Knuckles yelled.

"We need to get the power source, and I have the scanner!" Amy showed him the device.

Before he could protest, the ground suddenly collapsed under Sonic's feet. Sand and dirt simply gave way under him, and he had to jump from side to side of the newly formed sinkhole, his sneakers gripping what they could from a waterfall of dirt. He looked down and saw gravity pulling tons of dirt towards a deeper cave than he'd expected. Just a quick glance revealed a gigantic cavern mouth. The power source would still be down there somewhere - he'd have to take that energy scanner and rush to find it before Eggman's bots did.

But Sonic wasn't the only one succumbing to the land avalanche - the giant drill, all of the remaining robots, and Knuckles and Amy were also falling in with him. Knuckles had pulled himself into a glide, and Amy used her hammer to hit bots and slow her descent. Tails and Cream were flying in the Tornado, but could only watch as the sinkhole grew and sucked their friends into the dark caves below.

* * *

 **Original Dimension - Original Tails**

Tails was relieved when Sonic and Amy finally left his workshop for him to research in peace. Sonic being swapped was no big deal, and he was kinda glad for something to do and think about. He was also relieved that this was just another Sonic, and his big bro hadn't suddenly gone love crazy over Amy. The girl herself was overwhelming enough, and Tails wasn't sure he could deal with Sonic being just as infatuated.

He settled into his computer chair for his routine work of figuring out what was going on with the space-time continuum. Before he could get much work done, he was rudely interrupted by a most unwelcome guest that sauntered through his door, riding in his Egg Mobile.

"Eggman!" Tails jumped in fear, quickly looking for his defense system remote, and suddenly wishing Sonic and Amy were still here.

"Relax, my fox friend. I come here in peace, see?" The doctor lifted his empty hands in a gesture of goodwill.

"In peace? What are you doing here?" Tails demanded, one finger ready to press a button and set off an alarm.

"No, Tails, I am here because, as much as this pains me to admit, I need your help."

Tails almost spit out his drink. "My help? You need my help? You think I believe you? After what you just tried to do with us back there?"

"Well, Sonic ran away before I could fully explain!"

"Right, and you threatening us meant nothing, right?"

"I did not even attack - I merely explained part of the situation to Sonic, and he seemed to understand and agree with me, but then ran before I could say any more! You, on the other hand, surely you will listen to reason."

Tails sighed. He looked behind Eggman outside, but couldn't see any attack force, no hidden robots. His security cameras were coming up blank. He might as well listen to what the doctor had to say. "Fine, go ahead... "

"Well, the truth is our world may be on the brink of collapse. I'm sure you've noticed how our world seems to be losing energy - and you know as well as I what that means."

"Losing energy? Eggman, you know that's not possible due to the laws of physics."

"See for yourself… those computers seem to be built… on a budget, but should still help you come to the same conclusion."

Keeping one hand on his defense system remote, Tails ran a few scans of the energy levels of the planet over the past 24 hours. To his shock, he saw a downward trend graphed in front of him.

"No way… but how? Do you know why it's losing energy?"

"I may have… conducted some experiments using the Egg Stone."

"The what?"

"My new power source, of course. A one of a kind gem that formed deep underground as the earth grew old, absorbing the energy of the land above it."

"Hm," Tails mused. "Either way, I'm not helping you, Eggman. I just found out about this and it'll take me awhile to get up to speed - "

"I'll share my data with you, what I have, of course. I just need an intellect slightly inferior to mine. All of my attempts at fixing this have been… less than successful, I'll admit."

"So why do you care, anyway?"

"If this world is destroyed, I'll have nothing to rule, don't you see?"

Tails blinked. "Uh-huh. Well, I'm still not helping. You made this mess, and Sonic and I will fix it our way."

"Well, it's more like you don't have a choice."

Dr. Eggman suddenly pulled out a gun from his Egg Mobile and aimed it right at Tails. In his other hand, he aimed the Switching Tablet at him.

"My OctoScramblers are outside, surrounding you. You have five seconds to agree to help me, or I'm sending you to the other dimension. The other Tails will surely agree."

Five seconds. Tails would have to think fast. What would Sonic do here?

"Five."

He couldn't agree to help. Not an option.

"Four."

If he activated his defense system, it would attack the OctoScramblers, and may send him to the other world regardless of what he did.

"Three."

What would his copy in the other world do? Would it be better to allow the swap? How had things played out for this world's version of Sonic over there….?

"Two."

He'd have to let Sonic and Amy know Eggman was here.

"One."

Time to see what the other world was like…


	6. Confidants

_IT 'S NO USE I'M OUTTA USE, Samantha27, SpeedsMyGame:_

 _Thanks for the reviews! You guys keep me motivated. :D Yay for more romance in this chapter! I feel like this story is kinda two SonAmy's for the price of one, so it's pretty fun to write. Enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter 6: Confidants

* * *

 _"I don't like not being me, and today I didn't feel like me. And I'm thinking Amy might be part of that."_

 _Amy couldn't help but reach to grab his hand. "Sonic, I'd never want to change anything about you… other than how you felt about me. All I've ever wanted was just to be with you, for you to give me the time of day once in a while. Nothing else."_

 _He met her eyes, enjoying their touch. "That sounds just like something she'd say…"_

 _"Well, it's true. I want my Sonic to be Sonic, I love him just the way he is… just, with a bit more romance and less rudeness," she clarified with emphasis._

* * *

 **Original Dimension - Alternate Sonic, Original Amy**

Amy Rose couldn't take her eyes off the hedgehog sitting across the table from her. Sonic had already finished eating, of course, but he was in a rare pose of sitting completely still and studying her with his impossibly green eyes. He still avoided eye contact with her, but she could feel his eyes on the rest of her face and body. Amy found herself, once again, perplexed with Sonic the Hedgehog. Her own Sonic didn't seem to make much sense, and this one was no different. Amy could feel his persona, the outward cocky hero, was still there, but behind that mask was a mystery, a confusing swirl of emotions. Perhaps even a mystery Sonic himself couldn't figure out.

He was silent, tapping his foot as always and trying to make light conversation. She knew he was only here because he felt bad for her, but there were so many things she wanted to ask him. Amy had always wanted to go out and just talk with Sonic, and while this may not be the real one, she still had to seize this opportunity. This version of her hero was in love with her counterpart… and that gave her some hope. So she wanted to pick his brain and figure out why he loved his Amy, then she'd have some ideas to use on her own crush. Amy would do anything to get Sonic to love her… especially now that she realized he didn't. But this Sonic had proved winning his heart wasn't impossible. There was no way she was giving up.

It still begged the question though: how was she going to get him to open up?

"Sonic, can I ask you something?" she began after swallowing a few bites of her meal.

"What's up?" He finally made eye contact with her.

Amy tilted her head. "How are you feeling? You seem confused, like you're trying to figure something out."

"Nah…" he dismissed, pushing his empty plate even further away.

"I can tell."

Sonic raised his shoulders up and lowered them. "I've… never been good at this feeling stuff. Amy was always the one who took care of that for both of us."

Amy took a sip of her drink. "Can you tell me how you and your Amy got together?"

Sonic let out a breath. "Well, she can tell it better than I can… but, she basically kinda backed off a bit, and stopped begging me to marry her. She stopped following me around everywhere and grew up a bit, I guess. And I started to take notice of her, wondering why she wasn't after me anymore."

"Oh… so, you didn't like that she was always after you…?"

"Well, she was kinda annoying. I mean, part of me liked that she always chased me, but the other part dreaded seeing her come at me with that hammer… she just made me feel weird and not in control and I didn't like it. I was never mean to her, 'course, but I kept my distance."

Amy looked down. Could that be how her Sonic felt about her as well? Was the answer just to stop chasing him? But that didn't make sense - Amy couldn't just stop chasing Sonic. She wouldn't be able to win his heart by being passive and waiting for him. He didn't notice her as it was, there was no way she was going to start seeing even less of him! There had to be something else, some other secret in Sonic's heart that she could unlock.

"But you finally got with her somehow, right?"

A small smile formed on his face. "Yeah, one day I just said, why not, and asked her out - "

"Oh my gosh, what did she do? Say?" Amy asked, her own lips smiling and her eyes huge. She always imagined Sonic asking her out...

Sonic chuckled. "Heh, she was pretty excited. I'll never forget, she hugged me really tight, then grabbed my hand and ran as fast as I've ever seen her run to pull me to our first date."

"Aw! Where did you guys go?"

"Twinkle Park, of course. That's where she's wanted to go forever. We had an awesome time." Sonic smiled as he looked away in nostalgia. "She was so happy, and I knew that I'd made the right choice. And I haven't regretted it since. Until…" His last word managed to slip out.

Amy leaned forward, confused. "Until what?"

"Ah, nothin', Ames, don't worry about it." His familiar grin and relaxed attitude returned. "I'm just not good at this feelin' stuff like I said. Dealing with Amy has always been the most confusing part of my life. Give me a world to run in and chili dogs and I'm good. And while Amy has made my life better in a lot of ways, there are some things I just - don't know. Today's been confusin'. Learning there's another me, and that he's different… and how he's treated you..." He waved his hand around in a circle. "Too many things I don't wanna think about to be honest."

Hearing this from Sonic was disappointing Amy. She'd been hoping to hear about how to win Sonic over, but now he sounded as if he didn't actually like her. Why was even this nice version of Sonic so confusing? He was giving her just enough hope to latch onto, but not enough to satisfy her.

"But…you said you kinda regretted asking her out," Amy said. "You should ask yourself, how do you _feel_ about her?"

"I mean, I love her, I guess. She's amazing. I like spending time with her. But, I've got to thinking, and today, I've just been so focused on her, on you, that I almost didn't fight Egghead with Tails. I turned down something I've always done, for her. And that… that bothers me, I dunno why."

"Oh, I see…" Amy bit on her bottom lip.

"I don't like not being me, and today I didn't feel like me. And I'm thinking Amy might be part of that."

Amy couldn't help but reach to grab his hand. "Sonic, I'd never want to change anything about you… other than how you felt about me. All I've ever wanted was just to be with you, for you to give me the time of day once in a while. Nothing else."

He met her eyes, enjoying their touch. "That sounds just like something she'd say…"

"Well, it's true. I want my Sonic to be Sonic, I love him just the way he is… just, with a bit more romance and less rudeness," she clarified with emphasis.

"Heh, well, I guess I just need to figure out what's important to me. And as important Amy is, stuff like adventuring has always been who I am. Gah, this stuff is so deep. I just wish it were simple."

He pouted a bit, tapping his foot. He'd been sitting in this restaurant seat long enough. He'd gotten more used to being on 'normal' dates thanks to Amy, but his confusing thoughts exacerbated his discomfort.

Sonic didn't like the thought of not being with Amy anymore, but he had to admit it'd crossed his mind in the past few minutes. He normally wasn't one to think things through, but since his Amy was far away, and this one had wanted to talk, here he was, forced to think through options and possibilities. It was foreign to him. He just wanted to go see Amy and tell her that he needed a break. He still cared about her, of course, but she'd gotten in the way of something important to him, and it was bothering him more than it should have.

Yes, he should have immediately investigated the odd things he'd noticed in this dimension. He should have immediately went to Tails. He should have immediately sought out Eggman to stop him. Because he hadn't, they were now at a disadvantage against the doctor, as Sonic couldn't even fight him, and Tails had stuff to figure out. He wanted some action again, something to do to get his mind off of this.

Although… he snuck a glance at the pink hedgehog across the way. She was gorgeous, just as pretty as his Amy, but his heart slumped as he looked at her. Part of the reason he'd always rejected his Amy in the past is because he'd been afraid of what being with her would mean, and if he'd have to give up a part of himself. It seemed that his worst fear had come had changed him, and in ways he didn't like. Sonic's ego revolved around him being that confident, cocky badass speedster he'd always been… and had Amy taken some of that from him? Today he'd been less than himself. Look at him, sitting around here brooding like Faker did! He didn't like it.

Sonic looked away from Amy, his mind made up. As much as this would hurt him, and her, he'd have to break it off when he got home. At least for a little while, until he could feel like himself again.

"Okay, now time for me to ask you a question," Sonic said, wanting to change the conversation. Amy still had a lot of food left to eat.

"Sure, anything."

"Your Sonic, what's he like?"

Amy immediately blushed, and then grinned. "He's so great… he's handsome, and fast, and dreamy, and cute, and heroic, and nice, and kind, and so strong, and amazing, and his smile makes me melt, and I just wanna hug him and kiss him and marry him…"

"Uh-huh…" Sonic felt sweatdrops forming near his ears. He'd been hoping for some different adjectives; this Amy sure was a handful. "But you said he was rude to you."

Amy looked down again, and Sonic almost regretted asking. He hated to see the girl sad. "Yeah, he never seems to want to go on a date with me. For the longest time, I thought he was just shy, or something, but… today I realized that he doesn't love me." She sniffled a bit, and brought a napkin to wipe at her eyes.

"Why do you think that?"

"Because… spending time with you, I realized all he could be doing. You were so nice and sweet and romantic with me, and he's never done anything like that ever."

"Well, it took me some time to get used to stuff like that... It's not natural for me. I can't speak for him, but lemme give ya a bit of advice." Amy immediately looked up to him. "Don't forget what Sonic thinks is important - helping his friends, being free, and adventures. I was really impressed with my Amy when I realized how strong, independent, and caring she really was."

There it was! The secret Amy had been waiting for. Strong… independent… caring… she'd have to do all those things when Sonic was around to get him to notice her. And stop being so fangirlish around him. That last one would be hard, as she couldn't help but squeal everytime she saw him. But Amy always told herself she'd do anything to win Sonic's heart, and if this was what it took, she'd do it.

"Wait… - is that Tails?" Sonic suddenly pointed at the TV monitor behind Amy, and the girl whipped her head around.

Sure enough, the TV was suddenly playing a feed - and it looked like Tails workshop. Amy gasped when she looked more closely. It was Tails, and standing next to him was none other than Doctor Eggman, grinning and holding a gun to the poor foxes head.

"We gotta go," Sonic immediately pulled Amy into his arms and rushed out the door. If his little brother was in trouble, he would move heaven and earth to save him.

* * *

 **Alternate Dimension - Original Sonic, Alternate Amy, Alternate Knuckles**

Sonic landed on his feet in near total darkness. The only light sources that allowed him to squint and make out vague shapes were the lights of several broken robots scattered around. Their metal exteriors had probably broken from the fall. The hole created by those microbots was gigantic, and the floor was still scattered with the broken pieces of the huge drill. Looking around, he saw a series of cave mouths that beckoned him to explore and search, just to see how far down these labyrinths went. Looking up, the ground he'd been standing on just seconds ago looked so high up. He'd probably be able to run up the sides to get out, but what about Amy and Knuckles?

He called out their names.

"Yeah, I'm here," Knuckles responded.

"I'm okay," Amy shouted.

Sonic ran towards the sounds of their voices, and then suddenly noticed a bright light. He could make out Amy's face far to his left.

"The energy scanner can give us some light," she called out.

The three of them moved to her location. But as they were running, Eggman's voice interrupted.

"Oh yes, it worked! Finally! EggHounds, get me that Egg Stone!"

The heroes watched in horror as dozens of dog-like robots jumped down to their level of the low ground, and spread out, each of them rushing to explore one of the many tunnels around them. On the heels of the EggHounds was another round of flying badniks, obviously meant to slow them down.

"Egg Stone?" Knuckles echoed.

"He must mean the power source," Amy showed the scanner. "It's gotta be through one of those tunnels, we have to find it before they do."

"Let me take the scanner - I'll find the power source in no time, and then we'll get out of here." Sonic extended his hand, and got his feet ready to take off.

Amy shook her head. "No. I'm not letting you run off with our only hope of finding it."

Sonic's jaw dropped. "Seriously Amy? You still don't trust me?"

"No. I'm keeping the scanner and finding it myself."

Sonic spread his arms out. "But I'm a million times faster! We don't have much time."

"I still don't trust you."

Sonic crossed his arms and exhaled heavily. Even over here, Amy was insufferable. "Fine. Knux, you stay here. And deal with these bots."

And with that, Sonic quickly picked up Amy bridal style and rushed deeper into the tunnels.

"Hey, what are you doing? Put me down!" Amy demanded, struggling against his grasp.

Sonic only held her tighter, and grinned in spite of himself. "Nope, this is what you wanted, right? If yer gonna be so stubborn, we'll search for this together."

Amy reluctantly held onto Sonic's torso. "Grrr! I'm so gonna tell Sonic about this."

"I'm right here, ya know," Sonic said as he zipped through miles and miles of the dark cavern. The only light source they had was the energy scanner, and it illuminated countless ancient rock formations that they zoomed past.

"No, I mean the real Sonic. My boyfriend."

"Uh-huh." The male hedgehog suddenly grinned. "You're enjoying this, c'mon? Yer gonna tell me you've never dreamed of being ' _held by Sonic_ ' before?" he gagged the words out in falsetto.

She rolled her eyes. "Please. I don't have to dream. He takes me out on dates all the time. We've been to rock caverns much more gorgeous than this."

He raised his eyebrows. "Right…"

"In fact, Sonic has kissed me in caves just like this."

He didn't even blink.

"On the lips."

He kept his eyes trained forward. "If you're trying to get me to drop you, it's not gonna work."

"He tasted amazing. And he's such a good kisser."

She was breaking him, she could tell. This Sonic may not know it, but Amy had become good at reading him and his veiled emotions. Subtle things, like his mouth slightly twitching, his grip on her tightening, and his ears flattening.

"In fact, I bet he's really good in - "

"Whoa!" Sonic skidded to a sudden halt, and Amy was on her own two feet again. She grinned in triumph.

"No, we are not having that conversation! Keep that to yourself, Amy!" His face had turned bright red, and he couldn't even look at her right now.

"Finally," Amy brushed off her skirt. "Now, let's go find the power source - this thing is beeping like crazy!"

The energy scanner wasn't the only thing making noise; Sonic's heart was thumping like crazy. Just thinking about being with Amy romantically, kissing her, and - He shook the thoughts out of his mind. Best to find this cursed thing before Amy drove him even more up the wall.

There seemed to be miles and miles of tunnels they still had to get through. While they were still way ahead of Eggman's bots, he could still have an ambush ready for them when they resurfaced. Tails and Knuckles could handle it for now, but Sonic didn't like their chances of holding them off forever.

Amy suddenly started running, and Sonic followed close behind, catching up to her in an instant.

"Not bad, Ames, I see you've been practicing," he grinned at her.

"I already have a boyfriend, Sonic, so stop flirting with me. Save that for your world's Amy," she rolled her eyes and kept running.

"Wah?" Sonic almost tripped for one of the first times in his life. He was really starting to get irritated with this Amy. No matter what he did, he couldn't get her to even be pleasant with him. He was totally not used to Amy being anything other than obsessed with him. Who was this girl who wasn't afraid to be sassy with him, who wasn't so needy, who seemed to be her own person?

"Oh please, it's obvious you love her. I mean, you have to, because my Sonic loves me."

Sonic made a face. "Of course I don't like her - "

"Then why do you keep staring at me, hmm?"

"I don't! You know what, I give up, let's just drop it." Taking with this girl was the only battle Sonic felt he could never win.

It was Amy's turn to grin. "You're giving up because you know I'm right."

"You're not right. The Sonic here might have feelings for you, but I don't. Trust me."

Amy turned to look at the rocks they were passing by as the scanner guided them further underground. "Why are you denying your heart so much?"

"I'm not denying anything, look, you're cool, but my Amy - I mean, the one from my world, isn't. She's kinda overwhelming, asking me to marry her, following me everywhere…"

"Well, if you treat her like you treated me earlier today, it's no wonder she acts like that."

"But, you're so much easier to talk to then she is!" Sonic protested, scowling in the darkness.

"Perhaps because you have a crush on her?"

"No! Don't you think I'd know if I did?"

"No. Boys are pretty dumb when it comes to what's in their hearts."

"Well, I definitely know what's not in my heart. And that's any feelings for Amy."

"Hmmm… it sounds like you really care about this, because otherwise you wouldn't deny it so much!"

He just couldn't win. She was too stubborn, and he was beyond impatient with her. "Let's just find this power source, okay? Do we even know what it looks like?"

Amy shook her head. "No idea. But Tails said scanner will glow with a green light when we're close enough."

The pair kept running through the caves, taking the time to check through each tunnel. It almost seemed like they were running in circles as they tried to make sense of the scanner's signals. They ran into a few of the EggHounds along the way, but it was easy enough for them to defeat the bots. Although they were running much slower than Sonic would have liked, the light on the scanner finally turned green.

"We're close!" Amy said.

"I don't see anything… - oh, there!" Sonic pointed up ahead, and they finally came to what seemed like the very end of the tunnels.

Nestled in between a stalagmite and stalactite, a bright pink gem emitted an unmistakable glow and pulses of energy. Amy found herself captivated by it, unable to look away. She could almost feel it calling to her, wanting her to pick it up. She'd seen and held a Chaos Emerald before, but had felt no such power. But this gem, it had to have been down here forever, and somehow had the ability to travel between dimensions. Amy wanted to hold it in her hands -

But before she could, Sonic had grabbed the gem from right in front of her and had her cradled in his arms again as he took off for the surface. She pouted a bit, but didn't complain this time. She missed her Sonic, and while this one was a poor imitation, he'd do for now.

Perhaps she'd been a bit too harsh on him, not trusting him with the scanner. The truth was, she didn't want to trust him. This hedgehog holding her had made some old and painful memories of how her Sonic used to be resurface in her memory. She had memories going back to when she was 8 of Sonic running from her, leaving her in the dust without a care in the world. He'd been so rude, not giving her even a second glance for years, breaking her heart over and over again. When they'd gotten together, he'd apologized to her, but Amy felt deep in her heart she still resented him. She'd said she'd forgiven him, but had she really? Sonic was always so carefree, not letting much bother him, while she was always a bundle of emotions that he could never deal with. Yes, their dates were fun and he treated her well now, but how could she reconcile the old Sonic to the one she'd come to know?

He'd had an abrupt personality change one day, deciding to ask her out on a whim. She recalled it so clearly. One day not a care in the world, and then the next day he suddenly wanted to get to know everything about her. She had to admit that as nice as he was, as much as they'd kissed, he'd never really shown her or told her how he felt, or how much she meant to him. It hadn't exactly happened like she'd dreamed it would.

Amy hadn't thought about this in so long. She thought her heart had gotten over her earlier doubts about Sonic's feeling for her. But seeing this Sonic had brought it all back. Their exchange from earlier had been her trying to convince herself as much as him. And hearing his denials over and over? It had hurt her deeply. More than she could ever show him. Not that he would care anyway.

She held onto him a little closer, letting herself snuggle him a little as he ran at supersonic speeds. Not her Sonic, she reminded herself, but as she felt his heartbeat against her chest, she couldn't help but wonder what was really inside.

* * *

 _Lots of dialogue in this chapter because I really wanted to explore each version of the characters with each other, and have them each come to realize something about themselves. Character development for each of them!_

 _AltSonic is worried he may have lost part of himself to Amy, while OrSonic is discovering and denying his feelings. AltAmy is struggling with doubts about Sonic's true feelings, while OrAmy is learning how to better attract him. I wonder what's gonna happen when they reunite…?_

 _And I know, I know… you guys are dying to know the fate of Tails! Don't worry, that's coming next chapter!_


	7. Turn Tails

_TheGameNguyener, Anmynous, ItzDarkky, IT'S NO USE I'M OUTTA USE, Wild card in the deck, MiraCutesy:_

 _Wow, so many reviews! Thanks so much!_

 _(This took me longer to write than expected because I took a detour and wrote some of Chapter 8 first… *sweatdrops*)_

 _Last chapter, it was really nice to write out the thoughts of the four main hedgehog protagonists. I felt I needed that little bit of break from the action to set the stage for the emotional things to come…_

* * *

Chapter 7: Turn Tails

* * *

 _"Amy…" Sonic wasn't sure what to say, but he didn't want to do anything to escalate the situation. "Let's just… chill for a minute…"_

 _She bared her teeth as she knocked down objects all around her. "No! You're always chill, why don't you try actually having feelings and caring about something for once, Sonic!" Amy screamed._

 _"Amy, I… do have feelings, okay? I do."_

* * *

 **Alternate Dimension - Original Tails, Original Sonic, Alternate Amy, Alternate Knuckles, Alternate Cream**

"Tails?"

Bright, blinding light, more intense than the sun's corona burned Tails' eyes and he forced them closed. Noise overwhelmed his ears until he could hear nothing at all for a few seconds, and then, all of a sudden, wind. A loud motor, and spinning propeller. He tried his eyes again, blinking away moisture.

"Tails, we're gonna _crash_ …!"

Sky, clouds, wind, the ground below him - he was falling! He immediately spun his tails around, but when they painfully bumped against metal, he realized he was seated - in the Tornado. He grabbed the controls by instinct and jerked the plane upwards, his stomach turning in knots. Once he reached a high enough altitude, he leveled the plane out and turned it slightly to the left, trying to figure what he'd been doing in this world.

"Tails, what happened?"

The voice behind him - sounded just like Cream. A warmth flooded his chest and cheeks, and he turned around to smile at the rabbit. She was just as cute in this world as his own…

"Sorry Cream. I'm actually, well… what happened was, um - I, I got switched with the other version of myself. But I'm still me, still Tails. What are we doing out here?" He stuttered over his words, blushing more.

"Oh, I thought it was something like that. Right now we're fighting Dr. Eggman," she said, obviously unphased. "Sonic, Amy, and Knuckles fell into that hole and are trying to find the power source."

"Power source?"

Tails squeezed his brows together. That must be the gem that Amy had pointed out to him earlier today. So over here, no one had it yet, not even Eggman. This was good news.

"Yes, but we don't know what it looks like."

"It's a pink gemstone. Looks like a Chaos Emerald. In my world, Eggman has it. But hopefully that will change soon. Anyway, let's see what we need to do here."

He let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding and focused on the battle below him. It appeared the surface was mostly calm, other than Eggman hovering above the giant crater and sending more and more bots into it. The walls of the cave were extremely deep, and it was so dark that Tails couldn't see anything at the bottom. They must be flying over weak ground and a series of huge caves. In that case, it would take even Sonic a while to find the power source down there.

Enough with the thinking. Tails guided the Tornado near Eggman's army, and fired the plane's weapons at the giant truck the bots were zooming out of.

"You!" The doctor yelled, and a few of the bots turned to fire lasers back at him. Tails had to dodge the plane out of the way, but kept up the assault as he guided the plane out of harm's way. He was able to take down several of the flying and ground forces before he spotted his friends emerging from the caves.

Suddenly Knuckles emerged from the left side of the cavern, his red dreadlocks peeking over the edge as he climbed his way up the side. His fists pounded into the dirt and he pulled himself up. At the same time, Tails noticed a blue and pink blur running up the side of the crater, and Sonic soon appeared, holding Amy in his arms. Well. Tails guided his plane down to pick them up.

"It's over, Egghead! We beat you to it!" Sonic gently set Amy down, and lifted the pink gem in victory.

"Oh, damn you hedgehog!" Eggman raised his fists in anger as he flew off in his Egg Mobile in defeat.

"You're too slow, again!" Sonic taunted. "Beat you later!"

"Sonic!" Tails suddenly jumped out of the plane and ran to embrace his best friend. Sonic froze in shock.

"Uh, Tails?" he asked as the fox hugged him.

He let the hedgehog go and smiled up at him. "Sonic, it's me! The Tails from your world!"

"Huh?"

"Yeah, Eggman switched me and the Tails from here. But don't worry, things should work out now. Especially since we now have the power source!"

"Aww yeah, Tails!" Sonic grinned and clasped Tails' shoulder for a small shake. "Good ta see ya, buddy. Let's get out of here, yeah?"

"Yeah! Everyone in the Tornado!"

All five of them piled in and Tails took off, the faithful plane carrying them into the partially cloudy sky.

"What about the other Tails? Will he be okay?" Cream asked once they were airborne.

"I think so. I was being held captive by Eggman, but I set up some things for the other version of me to find that should help."

"What?" Knuckles asked.

"Don't worry, I'll explain later. But the other Tails is fine… and if not, we'll be swapped again anyway. We should get back to my workshop - I'll run some tests on this power source and see if I can build something that can send us back."

"Sounds like a plan," Sonic nodded.

"Uh… my workshop is in the same spot, right?"

"Yeah, Mystic Ruins, of course, I was able to find it no sweat."

"Right, and that's which way…?" Tails asked sheepishly.

"Northwest of here, roughly. We're in that open field with those short bushes. I never knew there were caves down there."

"So weird… this world doesn't feel any different, but I feel like it should," Tails mused. "Everything looks exactly the same. I even still feel like me, the Tornado runs the same, the controls are in the same spot… If I didn't know better, I'd think I was still home."

Somewhere in between Sonic and Tails talking about their world travels, bonding as true brothers, Knuckles asked to be brought back to Angel Island and to let him know if he was needed again.

"Amy, you're being quiet," Cream asked her friend in the meanwhile. "Is something wrong?"

The girl just nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine." Her blank stare out the window and sad eyes told a different story.

"Did Sonic say something mean to you?"

"That hedgehog isn't Sonic," she said as she watched Sonic and Tails talk and laugh together, feeling pangs of jealousy. He was so nice with Tails, Knuckles, Cream… and yet, so rude to her. Why was he so different around her? He'd been flirty, but that felt just like he was trying to show off. If he truly did care about her, why was he so terrible at showing her that?

In spite of her spoken statement, she was having trouble differentiating between the two hedgehogs. They both felt like Sonic to her: charming, dreamy, handsome, of course, but also terribly frustrating and inconsistent. They were undoubtedly the same, and if this one was sure he had no feelings for her, where did that leave her boyfriend? Was he just with her because it was something fun for him to do, or did he actually care? Were his feelings genuine or not? She'd never felt that they were. Amy had never given up on Sonic before, but now that she had him, and things weren't as perfect as she expected, all she could do was doubt.

Amy desperately wanted to talk to him. She had to know the truth. So when Tails finally built that machine he'd talked about, she was going to use it. It didn't matter what world she ended up in. If her Sonic wasn't there, and he didn't care about her… what else mattered?

* * *

 **Original Dimension - Alternate Tails, Alternate Sonic, Original Amy**

If the bright light and deafening noise didn't disorient Tails, suddenly finding himself stationary and in his workshop was making his head spin. Just a moment ago, he'd been flying the Tornado and helping out his team, Cream behind him. And now?

His jaw dropped when he saw, standing in front of him, no one other than Dr. Eggman, holding a gun in one hand, and a tablet of some sort in his other. What a welcome to this other dimension...

"Well Tails, it looks like you made it safe and sound. Now, you're going to help me fix this dimension and become ruler of the world!" He raised his head in an evil laugh.

"Um… what's going on?" Tails faked ignorance as he looked around. He needed to buy some time. This workshop looked a lot like his own, but a few things were in different places. He was standing in front of a control panel of some sort.

"This dimension is losing energy, at an accelerating pace. I believe it's due to some experiments I've conducted using the Egg Stone."

"The what? Is that what you're calling your power source?" He kept talking as his mind was working quickly. He had already found the button to activate his defense system. It seemed this Tails had lasers set up - perfect.

"Yes." Eggman showed him the pink gem. "This gem is capable of creating a wormhole in the space-time continuum, and therefore we can use it to travel between dimensions. After this world's Dr. Eggman somehow found it and used it to swap that blue hedgehog, he swapped himself and I. Now that I had access to the Egg Stone, I tried to use it on immaterial objects. But instead of them swapping places with similar objects, it seems I sent them to some other place entirely. They just disappeared. And that means our world, our dimension, is losing energy, and will rapidly become unstable. We need to find where I sent those objects and bring them back."

"So, when we swap individuals, they always go to the same dimension, but when we swap objects, they don't swap at all, just leave our world. Hmm. And you want my help… why?" Just a few more things he'd have to set up… he stealthily took apart the remote and fused a few more wires into it. "You mean you can't solve this yourself?"

"Of course I can solve this myself, you little twerp! I'm only asking for your help as an assistant. The faster we solve this problem, the faster I can use the Egg Stone to conquer both worlds!"

Tails had to hide his smile as he connected the last wire. This was too easy. And apparently Eggman had an IQ of 300…

"Okay, Eggman, I'll work with you."

"What? You… will?" He was temporarily surprised at how easily Tails gave in. This wasn't supposed to happen...

"Yes, I will. But I have some conditions."

"Conditions? You? I'm the one with the gun to your head, fox boy!"

Tails jammed his finger against the defense button, and immediately his laser grid activated. Eggman was surrounded by bright red lights, framing his fat body and not allowing him to move a muscle. Explosions echoed outside, and Tails winced from the noise, but knew that it'd worked - the Octo Scramblers were destroyed, and he was securely in this world now.

"No Eggman, I'm not trapped in here with you, you're trapped in here with me! Now drop the gun!"

He kept waving it in Tails' face. "No, never! You may have destroyed my OctoScramblers, but I'll just make more!"

"Drop the gun, Eggman! Sonic and Amy are coming, and you know they'll be worse to you than I will be!" Tails held up his remote, ready to push the button to cook Eggman at any moment.

"You fool! If we don't solve this problem, none of us in this world will make it!"

"We are going to solve this problem. Together. But as I said, I have conditions! Now drop the gun!"

"No!"

"Egghead, drop the gun or I'll have Tails fry that mustache off your face." A deep, cocky voice broke their standoff.

Sonic walked in, glaring at the doctor with ice in his eyes. No one hurt Tails. No one.

Amy stood behind him, her hammer at the ready.

"Urgh, fine!" Eggman dropped the gun to the ground, and Sonic was quick to retrieve it and put it away somewhere. Tails turned off the lasers aimed at him. "You're all making a huge mistake! This world is crumbling, I tell you!"

"Tails, first off, heh, nice job! Seems you didn't even need me, buddy," Sonic grinned proudly at his best friend and gave him a thumbs up.

"Aw, thanks Sonic."

"Second off, what is Egghead blabbering about?"

"Well, he is right. This world is becoming super unstable - just look at this graph!" He projected a downward sloping line onto the front wall. "I didn't notice anything like that in our world!"

"Our world…?"

"Yeah - oh, right. So while he was here, Eggman switched me and the Tails from this world. So, yeah, I'm the Tails that you grew up with." Tails smiled at his big bro.

Sonic's mouth dropped. "No way! Tails, it's really you! Jeez, I've been thinking the other you was you the whole time - you don't seem any different!"

"Can we please skip the touching reunion and get to the part where we fix the looming energy crisis?" Eggman butted in.

"Yes, as I was saying," Tails cleared his throat. "It's gonna take both of us to fix this. So, condition one - "

"No conditions. Either we do this my way, or I blow this workshop to kingdom come!"

"Uh, Eggman, you have no weapons here, remember?" Sonic rolled his eyes.

The doctor drooped. "You furry freaks are so insufferable. I can't believe I thought this was a good idea."

"You could say that about all your ideas, Eggface," Sonic snickered.

"As I was saying, Eggman. You made this mess, and we're gonna be the ones who fix it. So, condition one. We build a communicator with our world, the other world. Although I didn't notice anything wrong over there, since the worlds are tied together now, it's probably in trouble, too, and we have to coordinate the final swaps at the same time.

"Second, you share all your data with me."

Eggman nodded. "Fine. And my factory will have to be used to build what we need."

"But - "

"Please, if you think an evil genius like myself is working in this dumpheap you call a glorified garage, you must be mistaken."

"Fine. It'll be faster anyway. Okay, third condition."

"There's more?"

"I'm just getting started, Eggman! No more swapping, anything, until we figure this out, okay? It's bad enough that the three of us are in the wrong spot.

"Also, we both put down our weapons and actually work together. No tricks, Eggman. And we promise not to destroy your factory on our way out."

"I'll hold you to that!"

"And lastly. We're not calling the power source the Egg Stone."

Eggman's jaw dropped in horror. "But why! It's the perfect name!"

"No, I agree with Tails, it's lame." Sonic nodded.

"Super lame," Amy agreed.

"Well, what do you propose as a name, then?"

"Something not related to eggs. At all," Sonic said.

"From what we know about this… rock, it has enough power to transport things between dimensions," Tails said. "Why don't we just call it the Dimension Stone? Or the Traveler's Stone?"

"Since it got me and Sonic together, why not the Love Stone?" Amy suggested with a huge smile.

"Uh... " Sonic shook his head slightly, forcing a sheepish grin on his face.

"It kinda looks like a sapphire. A pink one," Amy continued as she stared at the gem.

"Sapphire is too long of a name," Sonic shook his head.

"No it's not, it's two syllables!" Amy insisted with narrowed eyes.

"I didn't even know sapphires could be pink, I thought they were always blue?"

"They're a special and rare gem. When I first heard about them, I immediately thought of me and Sonic together, pink and blue…" Amy's eyes glazed over a little.

"See Amy, when you say stuff like that…" Sonic uncomfortably tapped his foot against the ground.

"Say stuff like what?" She asked, her eyes still cloudy and her head in the sky. "I even looked up the meaning of pink sapphires, and it was all about love and emotional protection…"

Sonic sighed a little. He'd just given Amy the advice to be strong and independent, and here she was being overly romantic again. She was never going to win the other him over at this rate. Then again, why did he care? He just wanted a break from her, from his Amy…

His stomach dropped at the thought of seeing her again. Those shiny eyes, that cute happy smile, that amazing body, and her bone-crunching hugs that he loved too much - and then he'd turn away and run from her once again. Could he do it? He'd have to. Sonic had to get _himself_ back. He wasn't about to lose himself to a girl. As much as it hurt, he'd have to do this.

But the waiting was killing him. And being around this Amy, being just as beautiful and so purely herself, was not making it any easier.

Tails cleared his throat. "Anyway, whatever we decide to call it, we should get started on the communicator. The sooner we get in contact with the other world, the sooner we can work out a plan with them to get us all in the right spot again."

"Right," Sonic said, and posed to take off, brushing off his brooding thoughts to grin again. "Never thought I'd say this, but let's head to Eggman's Factory and not destroy it this time."

* * *

 **Alternate Dimension - Original Tails, Original Sonic, Alternate Amy**

Tails was thrilled to see his workshop in the other realm was nearly identical, although he was puzzled by some of the places some equipment was kept. It didn't make sense to put the screwdrivers up high, and why was there not a separate place for his drills? He'd have to make due with this space.

Sonic and Amy were still hanging around though, and he needed to ask for some time and privacy to build the machine. He was confident he could scan the properties of this gemstone and get them back home. But he had no idea how long it'd take. As much as he loved hanging out with Sonic, the hedgehog was not exactly patient enough to help him with his tinkering.

"So, what exactly did you do in our world to get Eggman off your back?" Sonic asked. He was leaning against one of his bookcases, looking exceptionally cool.

Now this, he didn't mind talking about. He continued to organize his metal pieces as he spoke. "Well, I just thought about what I would do if I was suddenly placed in that situation, finding myself in front of Eggman. I would immediately activate the defense system, not knowing better. But that was a good thing - because if I would have activated it, I would have been swapped either way. But according to what you said… well, the other you said, he could destroy the bots after they had made a swap. I'm guessing a cooldown of some sort? Anyway, so that Tails would destroy everything and then he'd have Eggman captive. He's the one that knows more about this than me. I don't think the doctor thought that one through…."

"You're a genius, Tails." Sonic grinned.

"Nah, not really. Oh, and I also quickly transmitted the security feed around my workshop to all nearby restaurants so, the other you and the other Amy would know to come help out."

"Nearby restaurants?" Sonic asked.

"Yeah, the other yous are currently on a date."

"What?!" Sonic yelled.

"I-I-mean, uh, maybe date was a bad word?" Tails cringed.

"Oh boy…"

"No, no, they're not dating. Just talking. I'm pretty sure, heh.."

"Oh boy," Sonic breathed again. He'd have to go back home to an Amy that was dating the other him. He was not looking forward to seeing her again. Then again, he was intrigued. He was still amazed that another version of himself was dating this girl… this girl he'd thought so much about...

While Sonic and Tails were busy "bro-ing" out about the fight in the other dimension, Amy was standing behind a nearby bookshelf, the very one that Sonic was leaning against on the other side. She was conflicted on the news that her Sonic was dating the other Amy. Part of her was silently fuming, but part of her was a little relieved. Had he even noticed the difference between them?

Either way, she had to stay focused. Any moment now, Sonic would take off to do Sonic things, and she would have Tails alone.

"Well, I'm off, Tails. I'll be back later to check on ya. Good luck, bud!"

"Thanks Sonic, see ya later!"

This was her chance. Amy leaned back against the wall, the coolness of the metal chilling her back. Her ears were trained to listen for Tails himself leaving his work area to go into his storage room. She had to be stealthy. If she could take the stone without Tails noticing, she could try to use the stone herself.

Her original plan had been to wait for him to build the machine, but that would take awhile. She was also getting strange vibes from the gem itself. Amy had never been able to use the Chaos Emeralds like Sonic, Shadow, or Knuckles… but she'd also never tried. Her Sonic had attempted get her to try before, but she'd never been interested. Her trusty hammer had always been enough for her, and since Sonic was good at using their power, she'd let him handle them. But this time, it would take more than her hammer to get her Sonic back.

This was something Amy would do herself.

"Hiya Ames!"

She nearly jumped out of her skin as she turned around to find Sonic right in front of her.

"Sonic! What are you doing here? I thought you were off on a run."

"I was, yeah. But uh, just wonderin'... while Tails is in here geeking out, do ya feel like hanging out with me?"

"No."

Sonic blinked. He wasn't used to rejection, and not getting what he wanted. He definitely wasn't used to Amy Rose refusing him.

"Why not? We can do anything you want."

Amy let out a huge sigh. "Why do you want to hang out right now?"

"I got nothin' better to do."

"Wow, you _really_ know how to make me feel special."

"I - ! I didn't mean it like that, Ames. Let's just… I don't know, grab a milkshake or somethin'?"

"No, Sonic. I'm busy right now."

"Doing what, creeping around in Tails' workshop?"

"It's none of your business what I'm doing!"

Sonic took only a second to study her, and then he looked to the gemstone that Tails was analyzing.

"Wait - what are you up to?"

Amy immediately pulled out her hammer and raised it above her head, aiming at Sonic. He panicked and backed away from her first swing.

"I said it's none of your business, Sonic!" She took another swing, which Sonic dodged. "I just want to find out - " Her arm spun parallel to the ground, her hammer flying through the air. " - the truth!" She hurled her hammer at him, lodging it into the wall.

"The truth about what?" he asked, jumping to the side.

"Oooooh!" she yelled in frustration, and stomped over to her hammer to peel it out of the wall.

She couldn't fight Sonic - he was too fast, too agile, just better than her in every way. She made a beeline for where the gem was sitting on a nearby table, ready to snatch it.

But of course, Sonic beat her to it, standing in front of the table, his arms spread out. "Amy, what are you doing?"

Her hammer still in hand, Amy took a few swings at him, but he dodged each just in time, returning to the same spot.

"Get out of my way! I need to know!"

"Need to know what?" He asked between swings.

She whirled her hammer around in a tornado, knocking everything off the table around them. Sonic managed to grab the gemstone and tucked it away, knowing he had to keep it safe from this crazy girl.

"How you feel about me! How he feels about me! About his heart, his feelings, because he's such a frustrating hog and no one wants to tell me the truth or give me a straight answer so I'm going to go up to him, grab him and make him tell me how he feels about me!" She panted, her face bright red with rage. "Now get out of my way!"

"Amy…" Sonic wasn't sure what to say, but he didn't want to do anything to escalate the situation. "Let's just… chill for a minute…"

She bared her teeth as she knocked down objects all around her. "No! You're always chill, why don't you try actually having feelings and caring about something for once, Sonic!" Amy screamed.

"Amy, I… do have feelings, okay? I do."

"You're just saying that! Why do you always run away, hm? Why do you ask me out and be so nice, but you're so cold! And you're always be rude to me! Or deny our dates! And never say… " she stopped, still breathing hard, her fists clenched as she gripped her hammer. Veins were popping out of her neck as she fumed.

"You never say you love me."

The two hedgehogs remained silent, staring at each other with matching green eyes. The room remained a wreck around them, a mirror of Amy's heart and mind. Sonic wasn't sure what to say, what to do, he found himself unfamiliarly paralyzed. Anything he would say could only make things worse, but what were his options? Continue staring at her in silence?

"Amy, I - "

"I know you're not him," she interrupted in a softer voice, looking down at her boots.

"But I am him. He's Sonic, and so am I. So I kinda… feel responsible for… all this," he looked around the workshop, knowing Tails would kill them both when he came back.

"Being around you, it's made it all feel so empty," Amy whispered, staring out the window. "I thought being with him would be all I've ever wanted, but… if he doesn't care about me, after all we've been through… what's the point?"

"Look, Ames, I can say, with like, 99% confidence that Sonic does care about you. Because I… care about you. Okay? So if I care, he does too, right?"

"You're just saying that to make me feel better."

"No… why do you not trust me, still? After all this?"

"Because if you really cared, you wouldn't do the stuff you do!"

"I - I'm not good at this stuff, okay? I don't know nothin' about romance. Heck, I don't even know the first thing 'bout it. And maybe I don't have, ya know, feelings or whatever for Amy, I do care about her."

Amy stared at him intensely. "What's the first thing you're going to do when you see your Amy again?"

Sonic paused. "Uh…"

"Run away from her, right?"

"Uh… maybe not _immediately_... "

Amy sighed and fell down to the ground, hugging her knees to her chest as her hammer disappeared. "I rest my case."

"Ames… however he feels, I don't know. But I do know that you goin' rogue and trying to use this gemstone when we don't understand it is a bad idea."

"You do stuff like that all the time," Amy accused, shooting daggers with her eyes.

"Yeah, but… I'm Sonic." He grinned, but Amy was not amused. "Do you even know how to use this thing?"

She held out her hand. "Let me see it."

"No way. You can't even handle a Chaos Emerald."

"Because I've never tried!" Amy protested.

"Well, you're not doing any experimentin' with this thing."

Amy crossed her arms and pouted. Sonic had won, of course, like he always did. There was no way she'd be able to peel the gemstone off of him directly. Now she'd have to wait even longer to get some answers. Meanwhile, her Sonic was with her other version, and probably totally oblivious to her turmoil, just like always.

If only the unpredictable wind didn't captivate her so...

* * *

 _I actually love, love, LOVE how I wrote Tails in this chapter. I know that he's normally kinda shy and quiet, but I feel that SEGA makes him a bit too passive and weak in some games. The dude's a brilliant badass, and I really wanted to give him a moment of being able to stand up to Eggman himself. Even though this is mostly a SonAmy story, I wanted to give both Knuckles and Tails their moments to be awesome, because they deserve it!_

 _Also I added some humor in the conversation with Eggman, because I could. I may have made it sound too "Sonic Boom-ish" (because I've been watching that a lot lately), so I apologize if I went a bit too far with making Eggman sound goofy and not threatening. Oh well, maybe some slight OOCness made the chapter better for it._

 _Oh, and yeah, there's quite a bit of SonAmy here, though they're not doing so great at the moment. Lots of conflicts to solve, feelings to untangle, and words to say between them. Stay tuned, guys and gals…_


	8. SEDI

_TheGameNguyener, NeckBreak, ItzDarkky, IT'S NO USE I'M OUTTA USE, SpeedsMyGame, SonicPL2012, Samantha27, KnightOfTheWind:_

 _Eight reviews! You guys made my week! :D_

 _In turn, I repay you by updating late. The truth is, I needed a mental break from this story, and I had to do some re-planning of the plot. I was originally thinking and planning on 10 chapters, but I realize that won't be enough to fully flesh out what I want to accomplish with this fic, so I'm planning a longer story now. As for how long, not sure yet. We'll see!_

* * *

Chapter 8: S.E.D.I.

* * *

 _All this time, Amy had been so focused on how sad and lost she was without him here, how he never showed how he felt - but that was the thing. Sonic was always there for her, being so sweet, taking her out, bringing her flowers, kissing her and pleasing her. Maybe he never said he loved her, maybe he was bad with words, but - he'd always showed her. He had loved her all along._

* * *

 **Original Dimension - Alternate Sonic, Original Amy, Alternate Tails, Alternate Eggman**

It was odd for the three heroes to be entering Eggman's factory complex without having to fight for their lives, but here they were - following the evil doctor in through the front door, so to speak. He had glided in effortlessly in his Egg Mobile, pressing several buttons in near comical fashion to disable his large defense systems. Of course, Sonic made a few quips that he could destroy the weapons faster than Eggman could press buttons, and Eggman retorted that the missiles would destroy him first.

Either way, they all made past the dozens and dozens of industrial warehouses to safely enter the control center of the main factory's assembly line.

"Wow, Eggman, this is so cool!" Tails had to gush. He was trying not to freak out at all the equipment and manufacturing happening around him.

"Tails," Sonic grumbled. "This is the guy who tries to take over the world every other day, remember?"

"Yeah, but… imagine if I had all these automated machines, Sonic - I've been wanting to make upgrades to the Tornado for a long time, and there are some other things I've wanted to make, too…"

"Well, my fox friend, it's not too late to come to team Eggman. I'll make sure you're well taken care of as my slave - I mean, assistant." Eggman smiled in fake pleasantness.

"Yeah right, Eggman." Tails crossed his arms. "I'm not that dumb. Don't forget we're only here to solve the energy crisis, as you called it. And we're building that communicator first. We have to get in touch with our world."

"Of course, of course! We can't keep this pesky energy loss! Let's get to work, Tails." Eggman cackled just a bit, and Tails followed him to discuss what they'd need.

Before Amy could wonder what to do or how she could help, Sonic suddenly spoke and headed out the door.

"Amy, come with me."

Her heart skipped a beat after hearing him say that. Was he going to pull her into his arms, stare deep into her eyes, and kiss her deeply…? She wouldn't mind, honestly. Not at all. Even knowing this wasn't her Sonic was not enough to fool her heart.

Her heart was momentarily overtaken by her mind. "Are you sure we should leave Tails alone in there?" She asked, slightly hesitating.

"Heh, Tails has proven he can handle Egghead on his own. Besides, we're not going very far."

Amy followed behind her hero with a racing heart, staring at the back of his head and imagining him kissing her, just like he had this morning. His lips had been so soft, his grasp so tender, his scent overpowering. She wanted to feel him again.

"So, we're here in Eggman's factory, what do you think we should do?" Sonic started as they walked side by side.

Amy paused, unsure of what and why he was asking her opinion. Sonic never did stuff like this, he always just ran off on his own and did his own thing. He was taking the time to share with her.

"Um, I guess we can see what he's up to."

"Exactly." Sonic turned and began a jog, forcing Amy to follow after him, although Sonic moved at a slow pace that allowed her to quickly catch up.

"Let's check out what he's making. Maybe Tails understands the mumbo jumbo he's been spillin' about some energy crisis, but I don't trust him. He's probably got some scheme in the background."

"Neither do I. He's always up to no good," Amy agreed.

"Yeah, you're right. So let's split up, search the place, and then compare notes afterwards. Let me know if you find anything and we'll deal with it together."

"Oh, okay," Amy agreed, but couldn't hide the disappointment in her voice. Here she'd been hoping for some affection, and Sonic seemed to be all business. She let out a small sigh, her heart sinking as the hedgehog ran off. She took off as well, following behind the hedgehog in longing.

Sonic glanced behind himself, and then came to a sudden stop. Amy almost rammed into him.

"Why are you following me? We should split up and cover more ground."

Amy giggled. "Oh, right, habit! Sorry."

"Amy… remember what I told ya. If you want to be Sonic's girl, you have to show you can watch out for yourself - while I love saving people, I don't want you to hold me back." The words came out a bit more honest than he'd planned.

Amy still took his words in stride and spoke with energy. "Okay, Sonic, I won't let you down!"

"That's my girl. I mean, uh - good, yeah, good." Sonic took off, creating a boom to mitigate the sudden awkwardness.

 _My girl_. Amy squealed a little but upon hearing those words. She was definitely Sonic's girl, there was no doubt about that!

Now she'd have to prove it. Amy took off in the opposite direction of Sonic, gaining momentum as she ran across the industrial jungle. Eggman's factory complex was a collection of rusty and brick buildings, some with huge smoke stacks. Amy managed to peek in a few of the warehouses, but found nothing other than ugly robots in various stages of repair. Some were missing arms, heads, and some were smashed completely. They mostly held the typical Eggman color scheme of gray, yellow, and red, but Amy found some with a more pleasing pallette. But nothing too interesting - they already knew Eggman was building robots, she just couldn't tell what these were for.

Meanwhile, Sonic had searched the whole complex already, taking care to stay out of Amy's way but stealthily watching her. Sonic had to admit that he wanted to help this Amy get with her Sonic. He definitely cared about her, and could tell how much the other him made her happy. It definitely reminded him of how his Amy used to be when they first got together.

He stopped a good distance from the girl, watching her as she looked inside a warehouse. In his head, he was rehearsing his speech to his Amy, but his heart just wanted to take a moment to watch this one.

This is why he hated waiting. Waiting meant he had time to reconsider, overthink, and doubt himself. And he hated that. He hated not getting what he wanted, right then. Why did the rest of the world have to move so slow?

Sonic headed back to where Tails and Eggman were working, but it looked like they still had a ways to go. He sighed.

"Anything I can do to pick up the pace, fellas?"

Tails didn't even turn around. "No, Sonic, you'll have to be patient."

"Ugh!"

"What did you even do with Amy? Why not go _spend time_ with her?" Tails suggested, and then he turned around to give Sonic the suggestive eyebrow wiggle.

He couldn't help but blush, his cheeks warming. "Stop it, Tails, you're too young to be thinkin' about stuff like that."

"I am not!"

Sonic turned to his arch-nemesis. "Egghead, can you at least turn on one your toys so I can kill some time?"

"Not a chance! My brilliant designs are not your toys, _hedgehog_! And you stay out of my warehouses - there are top secret works in there!"

"Check out the warehouses, got it!" Sonic dashed off.

"Damn that hedgehog," Eggman cursed under his breath. Having Sonic and Amy rummaging through his belongings felt a bit violating, but he honestly didn't have a choice. He had still chosen to take them to one of his smaller facilities, as they were definitely not finding out his real plan here.

He wasn't about to admit it outloud, but he really did need Tails' help. The readings off the Egg Stone were all over the place. He knew he was missing something, and Tails was the only one he knew with a slightly lower IQ. Those objects he'd experimented on had created an energy sink, and he'd already noticed other things in the world disappearing thanks to his constant surveillance. It was odd, because he hadn't used the Egg Stone, and yet items were disappearing all over.

It was all very concerning. Eggman couldn't rule an empty planet - he needed his slaves to worship him, and they'd need things to stay alive and be kept complacent.

After about an hour of work, Tails and Eggman finally got a inter-dimensional communicator hooked up. They first used it to send a digital message in binary code, knowing that the other world would need to build a similar transmitter/receiver. The message contained a simple blueprint of parts needed and the frequency to turn to, and Tails knew the other him could handle this.

At some point Sonic and Amy wandered back in, and Tails wondered what they had been up to. He knew that the hedgehogs kissed all the time, even in front of him, but would Sonic still do those things with another version of his girlfriend? What a complication he hadn't even considered.

With the message sent, all that was left to do was wait for their signal to be received, and the other side to respond. In a side room, Sonic was laying down with his hands behind his quills. He was trying to calm his nerves, but his foot kept bouncing involuntarily. Of course, Amy was by his side as always.

"What's bothering you, Sonic?" Amy asked with concern, gently reaching to touch his fidgeting arm.

Her touch did little to stop his restlessness. "Nothin', Ames, don't worry 'bout it."

"But you seem really worried about meeting the others. Can I help you with something?"

"Nah, it's nothing like that. I just - I hate making a decision and not being able to act on it immediately." Amy was so good at getting the truth out of him, it was uncanny.

"What decision?"

"Nothin', nothin', nothin'." He waved his hand in dismissal.

"What decision, Sonic?" Amy persisted.

 _The decision to break the heart of the girl I'm in love with… because I hate what she does to me…_

Even thinking it made Sonic feel like a terrible hedgehog. But at the same time, he'd compromised so much for her, did everything she wanted, took her out, made her feel good - and all he was asking for was a little space, some time to get himself back. It wasn't selfish, not at all. Amy was an amazing girl, and she'd understand.

He just hoped he could keep his resolve when he saw her pretty face on that monitor.

* * *

 **Alternate Dimension - Original Sonic, Alternate Amy, Original Tails**

What started out as a simple trip to his supply shed, ended up with Tails cringing as he heard numerous bangs and crashes, punctuated with yelling and screaming. What made him even more worried was when it all stopped, and he pictured what his destroyed workshop looked like now. He couldn't leave his workspace alone for two seconds, especially not at the hands of two powerful hedgehogs.

Tails took a deep breath, his furry chest expanding and then resetting. He placed his gloved hand on the door and pushed it open, bracing his eyes for what they were about to experience.

It was worse than he imagined.

All of his tools had been knocked off the walls and lay strewn about the floor. Or, at least, that's where he thought they might be, as he couldn't see beneath all the other trash and debris. Wordlessly, Tails used his namesakes to helicopter in the air and survey the rest of the damage. Another deep breath passed through his lungs.

"Guys, what happened?" he asked, looking down at his two friends.

Amy looked to the ground in shame, avoiding any glances at her destruction. She scuffed her right boot across the floor, twisting her lips, feeling childish and dumb.

"Well…" Sonic paused, not wanting to point the finger at Amy. "We, uh, got into a fight and we weren't paying attention, and - "

"I did it, Tails," Amy admitted, finally raising her eyes to meet Tails' blue ones. "I got carried away, I'm sorry."

The fox let out a small sigh, and placed the materials he'd been holding onto the now-empty work bench. "It's okay, Amy. It'll just take me a little longer to build this machine now."

"Nah, Tails," Sonic said with his smile. "We'll help you build it, so it'll be done in no time."

"Aw, you guys don't have to," Tails said, thinking that the two hedgehogs would only get in his way.

Amy looked from Sonic to Tails and nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it's the least we can do… I can't believe I let my anger get in the way of you two possibly going home. I just wanted to see my Sonic again." Her eyes fell to the ground again, but she slightly gasped when he felt Sonic's hand on her shoulder. She looked back to him with hurting eyes.

"Don't worry, Ames, we'll get you two back together," he winked at her, and Amy's heart warmed. Maybe this Sonic wasn't so bad after all.

"Thanks, Sonic. But what about you and your Amy? I'll have to make sure the two of you get together as well." Her smile returned with a hint of mischief.

Sonic removed his hand, and raised it to scratch his ear. "I-I dunno 'bout that."

"Well, I do!" Suddenly excited, Amy expanded her arms to hug him close, and Sonic responded by slowly raising his arms to her back. "I want you and Amy to be just as happy as me and Sonic are!"

 _Except you don't seem too happy with him_ , Sonic couldn't help but think as he continued to hold Amy. While on one hand he was impressed with her dedication by trying to take the gemstone herself, on the other hand, he was definitely intimidated by her sudden mood swings and emotional outbursts.

Amy was a bit of a mystery to him, and he didn't like not knowing what to do with her. He never did, not when he first saved her from Little Planet, not when she followed him around Station Square with that flicky, not when she freed him from prison, not when she hugged him so tightly he couldn't breathe, or any of the other moments she'd stolen his breath…

No. No. **No**. This wasn't happening. Sonic wasn't going to admit it, he wasn't going to think about it, he wasn't. He would never be Amy's boyfriend. He wasn't into her, wasn't into all that mushy stuff, he wasn't interested, period.

He untangled himself from her hug, standing at a distance, his heart a mess of emotions. Part of him really wanted to go hug her again, bring a smile to that lovely face. But he couldn't do it. He'd even seen just how unhappy she was now with his other version, so why did he want to embrace that and go down the same path?

"Sonic, don't you want to be happy?" Amy asked him with a soft, uncertain voice.

He remained at a distance, his gloved hands clenched and his face scrunched in thought. "I do."

"I'm sure that's all Amy wants for you, too…"

"No, I'm pretty sure she just wants me as her dream husband so she can hug and kiss me anytime she wants," he dismissed, crossing his arms firmly across his chest. "I never got the feelin' she really cares about what I want. She doesn't care about me, just about bein' with me."

That was it - once the words left his mouth, Sonic suddenly realized what was his holdup. He nodded firmly, and felt the pieces of his heart seemingly come together in understanding. It had taken him a while to figure out, but there it was.

Upon hearing those words, Amy had a similar epiphany, and she stared at him wordlessly as this inexplicable guilt ravaged her heart. Every part of her wanted to disagree with him, but his words had a ring of truth that stung her to her core. _I do care what Sonic thinks, what he wants, that's all that's been bothering me… I just wanna know his true heart, but he never shares it, that's what I've been upset about…_

And yet - Amy shook her head slowly, barely noticing as Sonic began to work alongside Tails, picking up the debris and organizing the supplies. He zipped and zoomed around her, but she remained planted. She searched her suddenly aching heart, questioning her motives. _Do I not care about Sonic?_ She wondered. It was a silly thought, of course she cared about him, he was all she thought about, all she desired - but what did he want, what would make him happy, what had she done for him, just for him, and not for herself? Whenever they went out, it was always something she wanted to do, she always had to drag him along, he was the one making the compromises and adjustments.

All this time, Amy had been so focused on how sad and lost she was without him here, how he never showed how he felt - but that was the thing. Sonic was always there for her, being so sweet, taking her out, bringing her flowers, kissing her and pleasing her. Maybe he never said he loved her, maybe he was bad with words, but - he'd always showed her. He had loved her all along.

"Sonic, I… think I understand," she said, a soft smile blooming on her lips as she closed her eyes. Despite feeling terrible and guilty, Amy felt optimistic know that she knew what was wrong, and it wasn't Sonic, it was her.

She wanted to talk to him more than ever - or, more like, she wanted to listen to him more than ever. Really get to know what he wanted. She'd been horribly selfish, but no longer. If she wanted to stay with Sonic forever, she would have to make him happy, too. And she'd start immediately.

As Amy came back to reality, Sonic and Tails made quick work of clean up duty. Amy was about to jump in and help them, but they were already finished. She felt bad they were cleaning up her mess, but nothing could be done now.

"Uh, guys… I'm getting a weird transmission…" Tails suddenly said. He squinted at his computer monitor, trying to read the binary code.

"Who is it from?" Amy asked as she walked behind to look at the data with him.

"I can't tell, give me a minute to read it." His blue eyes ping-ponged across the screen, his mind translating the binary to English as he typed out the result. "It looks like… instructions of some sort? It wants me to build something? Some sort of radio, a transmitter and receiver…"

"Egghead?" Sonic suggested.

Tails shook his head. "I don't think so, he normally doesn't communicate with us like this, he's usually more overt and over the top with his messages. This, I can't even tell who sent us this."

"How about we try and build it, maybe that would help," Sonic said.

"Maybe. It just seems like someone is trying to communicate with us… and this frequency it wants me to turn it to, it's something I've never seen before…" his voice drifted off as he seemed to do some math calculations on another monitor.

"Oh, that's it, I figured it out! It's the other dimension, our home, Sonic!" Tails yelled in excitement, punching his fist into the air.

"Really?"

"Yep! They want me to build a video communicator so we can plan how to swap us all back to our correct worlds."

Sonic nodded. "That's awesome. You got this, right Tails?"

He scratched his chin. "I'm sure I can tinker around and make something that'll work. With the help from the other us, it looks like we'll be going home soon!"

"Alright!" Sonic grinned. "This is great news! Right, Ames?"

Her heart was beating quickly, and she nodded just as fast. "Yes! I can't wait to see Sonic again."

"Yep. Alright, Tails," Sonic's eyes narrowed in determination. "Tell us what you need."

They immediately got to work. Tails decoded the blueprints and did all the building, Sonic ran for supplies, and Amy helped to organize the blueprints. Tails was surprised with Sonic and Amy's dedication to the cause, as they'd never been this good of helpers. Maybe he'd have to send them to a different dimension more often to get this level of help again.

Finally, the little device was ready. It consisted of a large TV as a monitor, and a small box attached that would allow them to transmit and receive messages from the other world. Thanks to the pink sapphire that Sonic held, they could power it easily.

And now, all that was left was to turn it on.

"Well, you guys ready to meet our other selves?" Tails asked.

"I'm excited," Amy said, doing a little twirl.

Sonic was already at the control panel, and pressed the 'on' button. "Let's do it."


	9. Drama and Determination

_MiraCutesy, IT'S NO USE I'M OUTTA USE, NeckBreak, Samantha27:_

 _Thanks a million, reviewers! Also, thank you to everyone who faved and followed~! I'm working hard to not let you guys down. :)_

 _(In this chapter and from now on, for ease of typing/reading and to not overinflate the word count, Alternate Sonic = AltSonic, Alternate Amy = AltAmy, Original Sonic = OrSonic, and Original Amy = OrAmy, same with Tails and Eggman)._

* * *

Chapter 9: Drama and Determination

* * *

 _Sonic could never commit to anything, but Amy made a promise to herself long ago, that she would never give up on him. No matter how boneheaded and frustrating he could be, and after how poorly he'd treated her in the past, Amy was still in love with him, and she'd held out hope that he would truly be her hero one day. This version of Sonic had given her more hope than ever before that a future with him could be possible, and she wasn't about to let him run away and crush her dreams, and the dreams of her counterpart._

* * *

 **Both Dimensions**

The TV monitor sparked on, and seven pairs of eyes stared at it eagerly. Thousands of brightly colored pixels appeared to show the group a live feed of the other team.

"Hello?" AltTails asked, squinting at the screen. He blinked as he saw Sonic, Amy, and… himself staring back at him. He glanced to the side, and confirmed the Sonic and Amy in this world were still next to him. Surreal.

"Yes, it worked!" OrTails said. "Thanks for your help, guys!"

"Well, this is kinda weird," AltSonic said. "I guess there really is another me."

"Yeah, kinda weird is what I was gonna say," OrSonic said, staring at his other self.

"Wow." OrAmy said, not able to take her eyes off OrSonic's virtual image. Even though she'd been spending time with AltSonic, seeing her original crush made her heart melt. He felt different to her, more wholesome, more heroic.

"Hi Ames," OrSonic said to her, offering her a smile. "Long time no see, huh?"

OrAmy's eyes glazed over as she stared at his handsome smile. He was being nice to her now? Had spending time with the other her given him a change of heart?

"Hi Sonic! I've missed you!" she couldn't help but giggle. "But I knew you'd come back as soon as you could for me!"

"Ah, well, Amy, I..." he looked away, obviously embarrassed.

"It's kinda like looking in a mirror," AltSonic said, intentionally avoiding looking at his girlfriend. "Kinda weird that there's another Sonic runnin' around. What's up, man?"

OrSonic looked back at the screen, relieved he didn't have to talk to Amy anymore. "Yeah, we look exactly alike. But I bet I'm still faster."

"Puh, _as if_ anyone could be faster than me," AltSonic grinned cockily.

"I'd race you anyday! Too bad you're over there," OrSonic said, mirroring his grin.

Meanwhile, AltAmy couldn't be silent anymore. Had AltSonic really greeted his counterpart before her? Doubt and sadness flooded her heart, but she glared at him before saying his name. "Sonic?"

He finally looked at her, his expression blank, though it looked as if he were hiding something. "Hi Ames."

"I… I've missed you," she said, suddenly feeling vulnerable. She could feel everyone's eyes on her, but all she cared about was one green pair. AltSonic's next words would make or break her.

He was silent for a second, and then forced a smile on his face and slightly tilted his head. "Aw, I've missed ya too."

AltAmy opened her mouth to speak again, but was interrupted by her canine friend.

"Well, hi everyone. Hi, other Tails," AltTails began.

"Hi.." OrTails said.

"So, I'm the one that sent you guys the instructions for this communicator… as I'm sure we all know, almost all of us, except for the two Amys, have swapped places with each other. And as far as I know, we've both collected the pink gemstone responsible."

"Wait a minute - why is Eggman with you?" OrSonic asked, suddenly seeing him in the background.

The evil doctor turned to the screen. "I have been forced to work with your band of heroes because this world is experiencing an inexplicable energy crisis. Tails has become my assistant, and soon I will solve this problem. But I have no interest in your little reunion, so I'm getting back to work." The doctor sauntered off into another room.

"Wow. Just like our Egghead, but seems a bit more sane," OrSonic said. "Only a bit though."

"I don't know if we can trust him," OrTails said, grabbing his chin. "When he switched the two of us, I thought he wanted to kidnap me for another reason - but you're saying the energy crisis is real?"

"It definitely is," AltTails said. "And I don't think we can trust Eggman either, but he gives us access to resources and data that will help us. This world really is losing energy, and objects are disappearing everywhere. In fact, I saw some of Eggman's equipment disappear right in front of us."

"And that's a problem, how?" OrSonic asked, raising a brow.

"Not funny, Sonic. Eventually, it looks like everything that has mass on this planet will disappear. I think it's been transported to another dimension, perhaps your world," AltTails said.

"Hm, that's a good thought. Let me run some tests and see if that's the case," OrTails said, and he turned back to his computer. "Although, you think if objects were coming out of nowhere we would have noticed, or someone would have. We definitely need to figure out where they've gone and how to stop it."

"What about our Eggman?" AltTails asked. "Well - he's your world's Eggman, but he's in our world, the world you're in now."

OrAmy shook her head. "This is getting confusing." She looked at her counterpart, but the girl looked preoccupied with something, more than likely her Sonic. OrAmy wanted to talk to her later, as there were so many things she wanted to ask! About Sonic, about what he liked, about how she got his attention… but it'd have to wait until the Tails were done hogging the feed.

"We haven't seen him since we managed to take the pink gem from him," OrTails explained. "He's probably planning something else though."

"Yeah, so we'll keep our eyes out for him," OrSonic agreed.

"So Tails, what's our next move?" AltSonic asked.

"Well," AltTails said, "Me, Eggman, and the other Tails will work together to figure something out. We each have the pink gems, so if we put our heads together we'll plan what we need to do."

"Yeah, figuring out the energy signatures and emissions of the pink gem, as well as the energy loss in your world, will be our first goal."

AltAmy was watching AltSonic so closely, trying to get his attention, but he hadn't even glanced at her since his insincere comment. In fact, he'd looked at everything but her, those gorgeous green eyes avoiding her own. He seemed emotionally neutral and unavailable, and his body language screamed discomfort. AltAmy couldn't help but study him, noting not only crossed arms and anxious legs, but a concentrated expression, a tortured mouth, and tense quills. Something was bothering him, and knowing Sonic, he wasn't too eager to share his feelings.

But AltAmy found herself really concerned - and reminded herself that she wanted Sonic to be happy. This relationship could not only be about her, and she wanted to do what she could to be more selfless towards him.

"Sonic?"

Both turned to her at the same time, but AltAmy was focused on AltSonic, staring at the monitor intensely. "Yeah?"

While OrSonic was genuinely curious and smiled at her, AltSonic glance was hesitant and unsure.

"Sonic, can we talk?" AltAmy spoke. "I need to tell you something important."

AltSonic looked away and shook his head. "Not a good time, Ames. We're dealin' with some important stuff here."

AltAmy's lips parted, and she scrunched her brow as she wondered why he was being so distant. "What? But there's always time for you and me!"

"Yes, but right now is not one of those times."

AltAmy wasn't about to give up. "But I've missed you. Haven't you missed me?"

"Yeah, I already said I did. Let's figure this out and when I get back, then we can talk. Okay?"

"But I really need to tell you something."

He seemed embarrassed now, as his eyes bounced around the room. "Not now, not in front of everyone else…"

"Hey pal," OrSonic spoke up. "Why don't you hear what she has to say?"

OrAmy's heart jumped as she heard her Sonic stick up for her counterpart. She'd been listening with extreme curiosity to the earlier exchange.

"Hey, _you_ stay out of this," AltSonic responded. " 'Sides, I'm not taking advice from you, considerin' how _you_ treat Amy."

OrSonic's mouth dropped, but then he closed it into a sneer. "Oh yeah? Well right now you're not even listening to her!"

"When have you ever listened to _your_ Amy, huh?"

"This isn't about me!" OrSonic was starting to get heated, but calmed himself. "Just let the girl speak, will ya?"

AltSonic threw up his hands and spoke quickly. "Fine. You wanna do this now? Fine, we'll do it now. I'm sick and tired of waiting anyway." He looked at his girlfriend with cold eyes. "I need a break, Amy."

He delivered the words so carelessly, so dismissively, that they didn't register in AltAmy's mind for a few seconds.

"A... break, but - you can't mean…"

"Yeah, I do…" AltSonic's face softened slightly, as he realized he'd finally done it. He'd said what had been on his mind all day.

And he felt nothing but terrible regret.

"Look, I'm sorry, but I haven't been myself lately. I'm not happy. And I need a break until I can figure this out - "

"How could you, Sonic?" OrAmy suddenly screamed, whipping out her hammer. "How could you! That was your decision you told me about earlier? But why?"

"This isn't about you, either," AltSonic sighed and rolled his eyes. "Just... it doesn't mean we're over. Just let me… ugh, I need some space."

AltAmy shook her head, and stepped forward to get as close to the monitor as possible, her nose kissing the glass. She raised her gloved hand to caress the pixels that portrayed her love. "No Sonic, you don't understand, I need to tell you that - "

He was gone. In a blink, a flash, nothing left behind. Everyone gaped at the empty space he'd been standing mere moments before, shocked that he would leave so quickly. OrAmy chased after him immediately, huffing in anger as she sped out the door.

AltAmy stood gaping like a fish, her lips parted in shock and disbelief. She'd been right. She thought she'd finally figured Sonic out, but she'd been correct this whole time. He didn't care for her, he didn't truly love her. He'd vanished from her vision, just as he had so many times in the past, further confirming his disinterest and disdain.

"Well… that just happened," AltTails said quietly.

"And everyone wonders why I won't date this girl…" OrSonic muttered, and both Tails gave him a dirty look. "What? It's true."

This was only proving in OrSonic's mind that dating Amy would be nothing but a mistake. Yes, his counterpart did it, but look where they'd ended up - just one look at AltAmy made him immediately look away, his own heart breaking a bit just seeing her desperately grasp at the monitor for someone who wouldn't come back for her. A moment later she slowly left the room, sniffing away a few tears and muttering she wanted to be alone.

He tried to sneak a glance at OrAmy, but then remembered she had chased after his other self. He couldn't do this same thing to her, as seeing this alternate version of her crying was hurting him, too. Plus, something that AltSonic said was really resonating with him.

" _I haven't been myself lately."_

That had always been his greatest fear. Whenever dating OrAmy seldom crossed his mind, OrSonic had always quickly dismissed it, knowing that what she wanted would never work for him. She wanted to get married and go on romantic dates, and all he'd ever wanted out of life was to live by his own rules. Explore and adventure and run as he desired. Having a girlfriend had always seemed like a hindrance that he just wasn't interested in. And this only confirmed it.

What a relief. These odd feelings he'd been having towards Amy all day could finally be set aside. He was no longer curious, as he'd seen with his own eyes how that scenario would play out. He had to admit he liked spending time with AltAmy, but felt confident his feelings were only platonic.

"Well, I guess we should get back to work," OrTails sighed. "I'll send you over what I have collected so far in this world, and if you guys could do the same, it'd be great."

"Yeah, we'll do that, and keep the call up so we can keep working together," AltTails said.

"Ya know, it's still kinda weird seeing two of you, but, uh, what do you guys need me to do?" OrSonic asked.

"Nothing right now, Sonic. But I have a feeling we may need the Chaos Emeralds to solve this if we can't figure out what's going on with this thing," OrTails said.

"The Traveler's Stone," AltTails said.

"Is that what we're calling it?"

"Yeah, it seems to fit for now."

"Okay - I have the Chaos Emeralds. You sure there's nothing else I can do?" OrSonic asked, his eyes bouncing between the two, hoping they'd tell him something.

The two Tails looked at each other, and OrSonic's stomach dropped, knowing what they were going to say. They both spoke at the same time.

"Maybe, talk with Amy?" - "Sonic, you should go talk to her."

He vehemently shook his head. "No way. I'm not getting near that emotional powder keg."

"Then _I_ will." OrTails said.

"But, but - you need to do, like, smart stuff! You don't have time!" OrSonic protested.

"I have a few minutes to talk to one of my friends who's heartbroken. Even if she is from another world." OrTails spun his namesakes to hurl himself towards Amy.

OrSonic raced in front of the door she'd exited through, blocking OrTails from exiting. "No, you don't."

OrTails crossed his arms, his tails still spinning. "So you won't talk to her and won't let anyone else? What kind of a friend are you?"

"She doesn't want to talk to anyone, didn't you hear her say she wants to be alone?"

AltTails face palmed and yelled through the monitor. "Sonic, how can you be so ignorant about this stuff? She obviously doesn't want to be alone. You need to talk to her."

"But, this isn't my fault. Why should I have to talk to her?"

OrTails sighed and lowered himself to the ground, his tails fluffing into their normal state. "You know, after seeing how the other you acted towards Amy, I was happy for him. And I thought one day you'd get there too. And, I guess, after seeing what he just did, I'm disappointed, but… you're no better, Sonic. I'm disappointed in you, too," was all he said as he simply walked away.

OrSonic watched him in surprise, still confused about all that had just happened. "Tails - "

"I have _smart stuff_ to do, Sonic," OrTails said. "You figure this out yourself if you don't want my help."

 _But I haven't done anything wrong! He was the one who cruelly broke up with her._ OrSonic thought, his heart sinking more as his best friend in the whole world turned his back on him. Tails was his little brother, who had always looked up to him, believed in him, helped him. How could even Tails be disappointed in him? When he hadn't even made any mistakes!

He didn't know. Today had been the most confusing and heart-wrenching day of his life. He'd felt so many unfamiliar emotions, some of which he'd embraced, others of which he'd thrown out as soon as they'd entered his heart. Feelings, waiting, thinking, none of it his strong suit.

OrSonic had no idea what to do.

So he did the only thing he knew he was good at.

Run.

* * *

 **Original Dimension - Alternate Sonic, Original Amy**

The wind whipped through Amy's quills as she forced her legs to move faster and faster, zooming across the world in pursuit of Sonic the Hedgehog. Running after the blue blur, reaching out her arms in desperation, and calling his name was all familiar to her, but this time it was different. She'd run after Sonic too many times in girlish fantasy, wanting a kiss or a marriage proposal or just a simple hello. This time, she was running after him to because he needed her.

Amy kept her arms backwards to become more aerodynamic instead of worthlessly reaching out to him. Her mouth was firmly set in concentration instead of wasting her breath calling his name. She _would_ catch him - Amy was _not_ going to let Sonic disappear into the horizon and avoid her anymore. As she ran faster than she thought possible, her eyes were trained on his blue figure, trying her best to keep the distance between them at a minimum.

She had felt it from that hurt look in his eyes when he broke up with his girl. She felt it in his regretful words afterwards, the way he'd zipped away to avoid the whole situation, which was just so Sonic. In just the past few hours she'd spent with him, Amy had learned and picked up on so many of Sonic's quirks, and could feel their hearts beating closer and more in sync. And she could feel that despite his cold demeanor, his heart was hurting.

Her legs were fueled by so many emotions - the confusing day she'd had, the hope, the joy, the doubt, the heartbreak, the pain - it fueled her to run faster. She _would_ catch Sonic. She _would_ talk to him. She _would_ keep chasing him until she either caught up to him or he stopped. She wouldn't tire, she wouldn't rest, she wouldn't stop. Sonic couldn't run forever, and she was determined to follow him. Maybe he was faster, but she was committed. She had that over him.

Sonic could never commit to anything, but Amy made a promise to herself long ago, that she would never give up on him. No matter how boneheaded and frustrating he could be, and after how poorly he'd treated her in the past, Amy was still in love with him, and she'd held out hope that he would truly be her hero one day. This version of Sonic had given her more hope than ever before that a future with him could be possible, and she wasn't about to let him run away and crush her dreams, and the dreams of her counterpart.

As he raced along, Sonic felt something odd behind him as he was running. He'd just wanted to get out of that stuffy and crowded room as soon as possible, just get out of there. Maybe he'd make a mistake, but he still did the thing, and that's what counted in his book. He could make it up to her later, but he couldn't live with not speaking his mind in the moment.

But about that feeling behind him - he couldn't really describe it, but he did feel that eerie sensation of being chased. But there was no way anyone could be chasing him at this speed, which was near his top form. Still… he turned around to glance, and nearly had a heart attack. His legs buckled, and Sonic nearly screeched to a halt before he regained his balance and momentum.

Amy Rose was behind him. _Not my Amy_ , he reminded his racing thoughts, but they still jumbled in his head. _Oh shit, how is she so close, I've been running for ages, oh no, how did she get so fast, go, go, go, I gotta speed up, gotta go fast, can't let her catch me, how is she still here, what do I do, ahhh, I regret everything, why did I do that, where do I go, go, go, go..._

Sonic was fueled by pure panic as he sped up, trying to leave Amy behind. But no matter how fast he ran, no matter which way he turned, no matter which crazy jumps and tricks he did, he couldn't quite lose her. Amy was behind him, just like always, chasing him down. He could see the look of determination on her face as she chased, and deep down he knew she wouldn't give up. Amy was stubborn and unrelenting when she set her mind to something - he knew this all too well. And him running away from her in a panicked state reminded him of the old days when they'd first met. All of a sudden he was years younger, and a strangely clad pink hedgehog was sprinting after him, calling his name over and over.

But no. This wasn't the past, not a memory, but reality. He was running, and Amy was chasing him. After he'd first asked her out he thought these days were over, and he'd never have to look over his shoulder again, only to his side and in his heart. Amy had gone from his shadow to his heartkeeper. And he'd thrown that away. For what? Because he wasn't himself anymore?

Yes. Being himself and making his own decisions was surely more important than being in love, wasn't it? Especially since he was Sonic, a hero, and the world couldn't afford to lose him. He couldn't afford to lose himself.

Sonic kept pushing himself faster and faster, further and further, but to his shock, Amy was still on his heels. He sighed heavily, and finally slowed his feet, letting himself come to a stop. Amy pulled up behind him, and nearly collapsed to the ground at his feet. She panted heavily, as she kneeled, sweat dripping from every pore from her body.

"Guess I'm not getting rid of you, huh?" Sonic said in a light tone that didn't at all match his annoyed body language.

"No… I… won't… give… up…" she managed to say breathlessly.

"Heh. I guess that's one thing you two have over me."

"Huh?" Amy wondered as she looked up to him, still trying to catch her breath.

"You don't give up. On us."

"Well, one of us has to be the romantic and optimistic one!" Amy said cheerfully, recovering herself as she stood fully, just a little shorter than Sonic himself.

"It's not gonna be me, that's for sure."

"No, you're the dreamy handsome one. That one that fulfills my dreams." Amy smiled sweetly at him.

Sonic eyed her oddly. "Yer not gonna yell at me and swing that hammer because I kinda sorta broke up with the other you?"

Amy went to sit down on a nearby rock, her legs still aching a bit from the run. "I have to admit I want to. And you do deserve it," she glared at him, and then smiled. "But I've learned that you respond better to sweetness. You do that adorable blush," she giggled as Sonic's face involuntarily turned red.

He looked away, sighing heavily as his face burned crimson. He stared at a nearby tree, trying to clear his mind.

"See? It's so cute! You're adorable, Sonic!"

"Argh," Sonic growled, hating that a smile was crawling up his muzzle. Right now, Amy was making him feel like more than the garbage being that he had acted like earlier. She was nothing short of amazing.

"Is this what you chased me out here for?" he raised his hand. "Oh, and before you answer that, tell me how you suddenly became so fast. You've never kept up with me this well."

Amy shrugged. "I don't know - I just kept chasing you and didn't stop until you did. I knew I'd have to track you down."

"Well, all I can say is - what? Are you serious?" He broke off mid-sentence to suddenly look at the sky.

There, floating among the clouds, was none other than the Egg Mobile.

"Are you kidding me? Now?" Amy pulled her hammer out in annoyance. "I'm talking with Sonic, Eggman! Leave us alone!"

Without asking any questions, Amy leaped into the air, did a backflip to gain momentum, and then tried to slam her hammer right into the fat doctor. While he dodged her a few times, Sonic spoke.

"Egghead? What are you doing all the way out here? I thought you were working with us?"

"Oh, ho, ho! Of course not, Sonic!" Eggman responded in between Amy swings. "The inferior copy of myself may have agreed to do so, but using this gem, I was able to swap us yet again. Now I'm where I truly belong, and he is cowering in that pitiful world, for a pitiful man!"

"What, what gem?" Sonic asked, and to his horror, OrEggman produced a gemstone that looked exactly like AltEggman had given them earlier.

" _What?_ There's another one?" Sonic pulled the gemstone out of his quills, just to be sure Egghead hadn't swapped it. He stared at the copy with huge eyes. "How is that possible?"

"Yes, that's right my spiky friends. There is another one of these gems, and it led me right to you! How convenient. Now, I'm here to take what's mine. Hand over the gem and neither of you will get hurt!"

Sonic and Amy looked at each other, wondering how in the world there was _another_ of the pink sapphires, and then got ready to fight.

* * *

 **Alternate Dimension - Alternate Amy**

"I don't know what to do, Cream," Amy sobbed into the phone. "He just sounded like he didn't care at all… and he ran off… he hasn't done that in months…"

"Amy…" the rabbit spoke soothingly. "I'm sure he still cares about you… you always tell me he's doing sweet things for you."

Her concentration was interrupted by a jarring knock on the door. Her thoughts immediately went to Sonic, but then remembered he was, of course, stuck in another dimension. It had to be Tails, then.

"Who is it? What do you want?" she yelled with angry tears. "I'm on the phone with Cream, so just leave me alone, Tails."

"It's Sonic."

That voice. Her weak, desperate heart begged her to stand up, wipe her eyes, and let him in. But she couldn't see him now. He already brought back painful memories to her, and now he would only bring back fresh memories of her boyfriend leaving her behind. Amy had always thought of herself as a strong girl, but…

"I… know you don't wanna talk. But I'm here because I think we both need to."

…he was definitely her weakness. Amy stood up, wiped at her eyes, and walked to the door. She turned the handle.

* * *

 _Ooh, things are getting spicy~! That last scene is a bit of a teaser for next chapter… I debated whether to include it, and decided to at the last moment. Hope you guys look forward to next chapter, because it's definitely a doozy. There's a lot that happens plot-wise and romance-wise._

 _Just a quick note that I do have a twitter account now, so feel free to follow if you want story updates or thoughts on Sonic and SonAmy - atSilverDawn2010 - check my profile if you want a link!_


	10. Pink Sapphire

_Samantha27, IT'S NO USE I'M OUTTA USE, The Game Nguyener, Lynkia, SpeedsMyGame:_

 _Thanks for the inspiration and motivation, reviewers! Also, thanks to everyone who's faving and following this story, I see you, too!_

 _Yeah, this chapter is a monster. I almost split it in half, but because I like you guys, I'm giving you all this at once. You're welcome. :P :)_

 _And now, this story will never be the same..._

* * *

Chapter 10: Pink Sapphire

* * *

 _"I feel - " Sonic cut himself off as he stared into Amy's eyes. He didn't know what to say, or how to say all that was going on inside him. He knew the truth, though. It was something in what he'd been feeling all day, and nearly every day since he'd met the cute pink hedgehog. And earlier, when he'd bent to pick the pink rose for her, and held it close to him to protect the delicate petals from the blistering winds of his speed, that's when he knew._

 _He felt things for Amy Rose - not the feelings of the wind through his quills, or the rush of adrenaline - but the feeling of warmth, of closeness, of care and tenderness. He felt what could only be described as love. All he wanted to do was stay here with her, perfectly still, and feel Amy in his arms._

* * *

 **Both Dimensions - Original Tails, Alternate Tails**

"Tails… I just had a thought," OrTails said out of the blue. He looked up from the lines and lines of numbers he'd been crunching. The data felt incomplete, as if they were missing some valuable inputs. As he looked it over, a thought occurred to him and he had to share it. OrTails had to admit it was nice to have another him around - it was like he'd cloned himself and could do twice as much work!

"What is it?" AltTails asked, turning to look at the monitor. They were still having trouble transferring some data between dimensions, but had done their best to work with what they had.

"What if, you're _me_ , as in, the same me as I am, but… from the future?" OrTails proposed, waving his hands back and forth and ending with both his palms facing upwards.

AltTails shook his head. "What? But that's impossible. Time travel, I mean."

"What about Silver? He's traveled back in time," OrTails said.

"Yeah, but…" AltTails paused to gather his thoughts. "We're physically swapping beings to different places, worlds, dimensions. Not times. We can swap them back and forth."

"But think about it. The only difference in our worlds is that Sonic and Amy are together in one, and not in the other. Isn't that suspicious? I've always thought the two would get together sometime in the future, which leads me to think that's what this is..." OrTails mused, grabbing his chin again.

"It _is_ suspicious," AltTails said. "But, if I'm you, from the future, then wouldn't I remember all of this? Including this conversation? Sonic and Amy from my world would, too - they would have remembered going forward in time, and doing all of this. But they don't seem to, either."

"Oh, you're right." OrTails paused. "But, maybe, our memories got erased somehow?"

AltTails shrugged. "I don't know. But it is weird that our two worlds, out of millions of possible dimensions, were used. It's a huge coincidence." He stopped to smile. "It's almost like whoever switched your Sonic in the first place wanted him to get with Amy."

"Heh, maybe. I don't think Amy had anything to do with this, though - Eggman was the one who made the swap. Maybe the stone searched for a place where the inhabitants are the most similar?"

AltTails turned around. "What do you think, Eggman?"

The room that had just been occupied by the doctor was now vacant. The two Tails looked at each other.

"Eggman?" AltTails asked again.

"Where did he go?"

"Yeah, I know he walked out during the initial call, but he was just here a moment ago."

The two foxes searched around for a moment, but the building was completely empty other than the two of them.

"Hm, I still don't trust him," OrTails said as he crossed his arms.

"Me neither." AltTails set down his pen and calculator. "I think I should go find out what he's up to. I wish we could go together, but... "

"Yeah, I'm stuck over here. Be careful, okay?"

"Yeah. You too."

* * *

 **Alternate Dimension - Alternate Amy, Original Sonic**

Amy turned the door handle, and the door opened with a slight squeak.

Her eyes were trained to the floor as she moved backwards, not wanting to look at any part of Sonic than his bright red shoes, as anything else would be too much right now. After she took her seat on the couch, she watched those iconic shoes silently tread across the floor, much slower than they were accustomed to moving. They came to a stop not far from her.

"Amy."

He said her name in the most tender tone of voice she'd ever heard this Sonic use.

"I, uh, know it's not much, but I thought it'd make you smile."

Amy watched his stance slightly change, one leg moving slightly in front of the other. Was he offering her something? She raised her eyes up from his shoes, to his legs, to his chest - her eyes flew wide open and she immediately found his eyes.

"Sonic!"

He was smiling, softly, kindly, his eyes gentle. And in his hands rest a lovely light pink rose.

"I mean, it is kinda cliche and all, because your name is Amy _Rose_ and all, but uh, this is the kinda thing you might like, right?"

She nodded, her eyes moistening as she reached for the flower. To her surprise, the stem was smooth.

"There aren't any thorns."

"Yeah, I cut them off. I didn't want you to hurt yourself."

"Sonic…. Thank you…" a smile grew across Amy's mouth as she fondled the stem of the flower. She brought the petals up to her nose and lightly sniffed, inhaling the romantic scent.

"Yer welcome, Amy. I just wanted to cheer you up a bit." He scuffed his shoe across the floor before sitting down next to the girl.

That's how they found themselves in a spare room at Tails' place, sitting awkwardly on opposite ends of the couch. Amy sat quietly, holding the rose and thinking, while Sonic leaned back into the armrest. The male hedgehog wasn't sure what else to say; in fact, he'd expected Amy to be a lot more talkative than she was now. For now, the girl seemed content to sit still and be silent. Sonic could make out some moisture in her eyes, but he wasn't sure if that was from joy or pain. Ah, who was he kidding? One rose given by him couldn't make her instantly feel better about her boyfriend dumping her unexpectedly.

But he wasn't sure what else to do, or say. The silence was killing him, too. Sonic adjusted his posture on the couch, trying to get more comfortable, but giving Amy her space.

"I didn't expect you to come and talk to me," Amy finally said. She set the rose down on the table next to her.

"Yeaaah, well, I didn't think I would either. I'm just not sure what to say. But what that other Sonic did was pretty rotten, and I feel bad about it. I couldn't just leave you here alone. So I thought picking a flower for you would be somethin', at least."

"It was really thoughtful, Sonic. Thanks."

More awkward silence ensued before Sonic spoke again.

"Well, you said earlier you wanted to tell the other Sonic something - well, why don't you tell me?"

Amy shook her head and folded her hands in her lap. "It's not the same."

"He's Sonic and I'm Sonic. Sounds like the same to me," Sonic gave her a teasing wink.

Amy wasn't buying it. "You know it's not."

"Maybe by tellin' me, it'll make tellin' him later easier, huh?"

Amy looked at Sonic, her heart softening just from hearing how nice he was being to her - but she wanted to fight it. It was time that she gave up on this crush of hers. She reminded herself that the few months of joy and love Sonic had given her, couldn't make up for the years and years of pain and rejection and rudeness. As happy as he made her, this current feeling, this feeling of her heart ripping in half, was too overwhelming. And this Sonic, with how nice he was being, was giving her hope. The hope that kept her heart beating for him, the hope that she could one day be happy with him, the hope that kept her hurting every time he disappointed her and left her behind.

She wanted to crush that hope, so that it couldn't hurt her anymore.

After all, she didn't deserve it.

"It doesn't matter anymore. I've given up."

"No you haven't," Sonic said.

His voice was so confident, so cocky, that it annoyed her beyond belief. Amy turned to Sonic with fire in her narrowing eyes.

"You don't get to tell me how I feel, Sonic. The truth is, all of this is my fault. I've been selfish, I haven't taken care of him, or made him happy. And by the time I realized it, it was too late. I can't believe I let both of us down so much. I don't blame him for running away, I really don't. I've been nothing but a selfish brat that only cares about my own needs in our relationship. I've spent so long of dreaming about being with him, and was so bossy and made him do things that I wanted - and I even questioned how he felt about me, when he was showing me all along. You helped me realize that. And I feel awful. I just wish I could have told him before he ran away… all I wanted to say is that I was sorry for being selfish. He's been so great to me, taking me out, being so nice, and I haven't done nearly enough for him. How could I have been so blind? How could I not notice he was happy? How could I… have claimed to love him if I never really cared about what he wanted?"

Feeling better after her rant, Amy gave a sad sigh and looked down, her eyes filling up with tears. She pressed her trembling lips together, trying to keep them steady. The salt from her tears somehow managed to make it past the makeshift dam, stinging her lips. She sniffed heavily.

Sonic absolutely couldn't stand to see her crying. And her speech… hearing those genuine words, and with such maturity and self-reflection…. He couldn't help but be impressed by her. This wasn't like the young girl he knew as Amy. "Amy, I'm sure you haven't been that bad. I think you're being too hard on yourself."

"I have, Sonic. It's all my fault. You said earlier that you never thought your Amy truly cared about what you wanted… and that's when I realized what I'd been doing wrong this whole time."

He blinked. "But… that's not what I meant."

"Then what did you mean?"

"I mean… you're not her. I don't know everything you've done, or what the other Sonic is feeling. But I do know this - he'll come back for you."

"How do you know?"

He smiled slightly, and then gave her a wink. "Because that's what I would do. After all, I'm here now, aren't I?"

"But… how many times have you come back for your Amy?"

He threw his hands up. "Stop with the guilt tripping, will ya?"

"I'm just trying to understand. I don't get a chance to just understand Sonic very often."

"What is there to understand? I'm a simple guy."

"But you make decisions that don't make sense. You've never come back for your Amy, but you said that's what you would do."

"Well, if there was a girl I really liked, and I made a hasty decision by being a jerk and running away, I'd like to think I'd do the right thing and come back to apologize."

"Hm, you'd _like to think_ ," Amy accused. "And yet you're so sure."

"Well, I'm sure because…. Because, it just feels like that's what I'd do."

Amy sighed in frustration. "You're not making any sense, Sonic."

"Look, I don't know how to talk about this stuff. I just know what I think and feel."

"And what do you feel? For your Amy?"

"I feel - " Sonic cut himself off as he stared into Amy's eyes. He didn't know what to say, or how to say all that was going on inside him. He knew the truth, though. It was something in what he'd been feeling all day, and nearly every day since he'd met the cute pink hedgehog. And earlier, when he'd bent to pick the pink rose for her, and held it close to him to protect the delicate petals from the blistering winds of his speed, that's when he knew.

He felt things for Amy Rose - not the feelings of the wind through his quills, or the rush of adrenaline - but the feeling of warmth, of closeness, of care and tenderness. He felt what could only be described as love. All he wanted to do was stay here with her, perfectly still, and feel Amy in his arms.

He didn't want to fight it, but he did. He didn't want to feel this way, but he did. Holding her would feel so right, so nice, but he couldn't. He couldn't do this to himself, betray himself. He was Sonic and he didn't _want_ to care about anything this deeply.

Just as he'd seen his other self do, all he would do was cause pain and hurt to this girl. He'd seen right in front of his own eyes what dating her would come to - he'd eventually need a break, and then she'd be heartbroken.

He'd never wanted and yet not wanted something so much in his life.

But he couldn't fight it any more. Sonic crawled across the couch and pulled Amy into his arms, hugging her firmly but gently. He loved everything about holding her - her warmth, her scent, her body, her heartbeat, her breaths… and how she inhaled when he exhaled, making their bodies fit together even more perfectly than he could've imagined. He felt her curves, those perfect breasts and hips, push against his muscles, making his whole body crave her.

Amy was simply perfect. And he knew it. She was gorgeous, she was smart, she was kind, she was brave and strong. He'd known it all along, but he'd fought it, with his attitude, with his feet, with his anxiety, with his love-shyness, with his speed. But in his heart, he'd always known.

Now, he was done fighting. And he was done waiting.

Sonic leaned in and met her lips with his, letting the soft flesh meld against her. His hand gently gripped the back of her head, his fingertips playing with her quills. He wasn't sure what exactly to do with his lips, as this was his first ever kiss, but luckily Amy herself took over, being the more experienced of the pair. She kissed him aggressively, her lips pressing into his, caressing his bottom lip. Her hands weren't shy about exploring his back, his sides, even his chest - and it felt amazingly electrifying. While he kept his own hands gentlemanly, he wrapped his legs around her, making sure she couldn't get away, but Amy had no desire to. She was a damn good kisser, doing things with her lips Sonic had never dreamed, but couldn't get enough of.

He finally pulled away, panting heavily, as Amy nuzzled into his neck and shoulder, her breaths warming his chest. Sonic's heart was pounding like crazy, not sure he'd ever felt anything close to this before.

He met her lovely green eyes. "I kinda feel like I should apologize, but I don't want to."

"Don't."

Amy held onto Sonic, desperately needing his touch.

"Why would you apologize?"

"Well, you kinda already have a boyfriend, yeah? Ahhh, now this whole thing feels weird." Sonic untangled himself from Amy's body, but she kept a firm hold on him.

"Did you miss the memo where he broke up with me?"

"But he kinda didn't. He just said he needed a break, and that you two weren't over. So you're still technically together."

"I guess." Amy still clutched onto Sonic, but when he wiggled again, she let go of him. He went to the other side of the couch, blushing.

"Gah, now I feel bad. I just had to have you though. I couldn't wait. My bad, Ames."

From the corner of his eye, he could make out a hint of a smile on her lips. "I told you."

"Told me what?"

"That you liked Amy."

"I -" Sonic couldn't even protest anymore. She was right. She was absolutely right, and his actions just proved that.

"You have to tell her, Sonic. Don't do what I did and hold back words. You never know what could happen."

"I can't tell her. Everytime I'm around her, my mouth stops working, and I just get terrified and have to get away."

"That's kinda adorable," Amy had to smile, enjoying that this conversation was distracting her from her own problems.

He crossed his arms in defiance. "No, it's not. It's embarrassing. The whole thing about her is embarrassing."

"Sonic, are you telling me you wouldn't want to do with your Amy what we just did?"

"I…" his face had turned dark red, making his fur near his muzzle appear close to purple. "You know what, I could tell the other Sonic about this, and how you technically cheated on him."

"What!? You wouldn't! Besides, he'd just want to beat you up for doing so!"

"Alright. Let's make a truce, then. Let's just keep what just happened between us, yeah?"

"Deal. But, only if you promise to tell Amy how you feel."

Damn. He'd walked right into that one. Sonic let out a huge sigh of anxiety. "Fine. Deal. I'll do it."

"Great! How about we do some more practicing for when you see her again?"

"As much as I kinda want to, I'm not kissing you again," Sonic said, shaking his head.

"I'm not talking about kissing, hornhog. Just about what to say. I want to help. Plus it'll distract me from… you know."

Sonic agreed, though his stomach was turning at the thought of telling the real Amy about his feelings. Kissing this Amy had been easy, perhaps because he'd been physically attracted to her, but not romantically attracted. But dealing with his Amy would be a whole different ball game.

Well, this was one battle he had never been able to win, one challenge that had always stumped him. And now he was getting ready to face it.

* * *

 **Original Dimension - Alternate Sonic, Original Amy**

"I'm terribly sorry to interrupt your little date, Sonic, but I'm pretty sure you and I have been 'together' longer!" Eggman cackled as he looked down at the two hedgehogs.

"Sonic, we need to get that other gem. If he gets both pink sapphires, we don't know what could happen," Amy said frantically.

"You're right," Sonic agreed, tensing his body up to prepare to fight.

"Good luck trying to take what's rightfully mine…. While I'm in this!" Eggman suddenly flew skywards, and the sun was temporarily blocked out by a giant battle mech descending from the sky. The mech fell to the ground with a crash, its giant legs creating small craters and sending shockwaves that knocked the hedgehogs over.

"Oh, you gotta be kidding me," Sonic grumbled as he lifted himself up. As he looked over the design of the mech, he really wish he had Tails here to help him analyze and look for a weak spot. But for now, Amy would have to do.

"Of course I'm not kidding!" Eggman called out through a loudspeaker inside the mech. "Those OctoScramblers were a poor man's prototype, but this other gem has led me to understand its true potential. Now, get ready to be _schooled_!"

The doctor raised one arm of the battle mech to reveal a machine gun surrounded by rocket launchers, and aimed it right at both heroes.

"Sonic, what do we do?" Amy asked, clutching her hammer.

"Fight."

He leaped into action, spinning himself into a tight ball before launching towards the mech. He leaped on the arm, raking his quills through the tough metal, managing to tear off the top layer of the arm before Eggman shook him off. Without Tails' eye in the sky, Sonic knew he'd have to pay attention to the attack pattern. It seemed the mech had the aforementioned machine guns and rocket launchers, but also a special laser ray gun. Based on what he could see, it looked to be attached to the compartment that held his pink sapphire. Sonic could feel his own pink gem throbbing each time he got closer to it.

He had to find a way to get in there. If only he had Tails to help him… how could he use Amy's hammer and himself to retrieve the gem? Perhaps their spinball attack?

Amy felt herself quickly overwhelmed by simply dodging Eggman's attacks, especially since Sonic himself was not keeping an eye on her. She was used to fighting Eggman from a flank, as Sonic was usually the main target. But this time Eggman seemed to be using another tactic: Because Sonic was much faster than her, Eggman wasn't even trying to hit him, but instead using her as bait to attempt to distract him.

It hadn't worked so far, as Sonic hadn't even looked her way once. Amy's initial reaction was anger, as she felt suddenly abandoned. Did Sonic not care about her well-being? But then she remembered he wanted her to be strong and independent, able to take care of herself.

It was time to do just that.

If Egghead was going to use her as bait, she had to direct his attacks away from Sonic, which meant getting on the other side of the mech from him. Seeing Sonic move up its left leg and torso, Amy headed right, dodging a series of rockets and pink lasers aimed her way. When she had a moment, Amy turned to swing her hammer at the rockets, sending them back to their maker. She could hear Eggman grumble each time he was hit by his own firepower, and that made her smile. She was helping!

Just then, Sonic finally called out to her. "Amy, avoid the pink lasers! I think they're using the pink gem's power, and it might switch you to the other place!"

"Okay!"

In just a split second, which was enough time for Amy to catch it, Sonic managed a smile at her. "You're doing great, Ames. We got this."

His compliments warmed her from the inside out, and she almost took a moment to squeal, but suddenly had to dodge several volleys of lasers and bullets. Well, that would teach her not to fangirl during battle. Time to get back to business.

However, as Amy got closer to the mech itself, she could suddenly feel a strange sensation. A longing, a deep-seated need to get closer to both the mech, and Sonic. Then she realized - just like she had been able to do before, Amy could feel the power of both gems. The one in Sonic's possession had been calling to her this whole time, but the one in Eggman's hands was calling even more. She could feel their energy, despite being so far away, and it drew her in. She could sense that if she could get close to both of them, she could harness that power somehow. Amy had seen Sonic go super many times, and while it had always thrilled her heart, she'd never thought she could be strong enough to go super. These gems gave her ambitions she'd never dreamed of.

How could she possibly get close enough with all that was going on? When she saw Sonic climbing up, she'd have to go with him, and attack the power source with him directly. But she couldn't say outloud what her plan was, as it'd alert Eggman. She'd have to time this just right.

Amy took another lap around the mech's legs as Sonic attacked from above, avoiding attacks and going offensive when she could. Although it felt very foreign to her, she made sure to stay as far away from Sonic as possible to give him enough space to work. He was doing his best to cut off any limbs of the battle mech, making dents and chinks in the heavy armor of the machine. Amy kept a careful eye on him, waiting for her moment. When she saw Sonic start heading to the top of the mech, she made her move. Amy built up speed and hurled herself as the nearest leg of the mech, running up the side. When she got to the arm, she swung her hammer at the appendage to launch herself soaring high into the air.

"Sonic!" She called out as she flew up, raising her hammer as a signal, and hoping he understood.

She barely saw the flash of his thumbs up before the hedgehog got in position. He instantly curled himself into a ball and flew directly towards Amy. As the girl started to fall down, she searched the outside of the mech, trying to find where the pink gem was hidden. She couldn't locate it by sight, but something inside of her told her where it was - the central node, hidden right behind where Eggman was piloting the craft.

As she fell faster and faster, Amy built up as much momentum in her hammer as she could, keeping one eye on Sonic and the other on her target. Sonic was getting closer, closer, closer -

BAM!

Amy swung with all her might, the blunt end of her weapon whacking Sonic's spin form with tremendous power and speed towards the node. Her mouth dropped in disbelief as she watched Sonic cut through the middle of the mech like butter, opening the compartment that held the pink gem. She did it! They did it! Together!

With her hammer in only one hand, Amy controlled her descent to fall right next to the pink gem, grasping it from it's compartment. She felt a intense rush as she held it in her hands, momentarily distracting her from the fall. She regained a sense of surroundings and used her hammer to hit the sides of the degrading mech and land on her feet. Now without its source of power, the battle mech crumbled to the ground in a heap of metal. It crushed to pieces, black smoke billowing out and providing a background to Dr. Eggman escaping as usual.

"Ames, you did so great," Sonic gushed and grinned at her.

However, before Amy could respond, something weird was going on with the pink gemstone. As Amy held it in her hands, it was glowing a bright shade of cotton candy pink. The girl could feel it pulsating in her hands, and she felt an inexplicable need to unite it with the other gem.

"Sonic, give me your gem," she asked with urgency.

His smile disappeared. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I can feel it. It wants to come together, so it can come out."

"Come out?"

"Yes, just… give it," Amy said, surprising herself with the impatience.

Sonic reached into his quills to produce the stone, but once it felt open air, the gem seemed to take on a life of its own. It floated out of Sonic's hands and straight for Amy's, coming to rest on her palm. Amy looked down with wide, bright green eyes as the two gems connected together like magnets, forming a rough heart-like shape.

Once they connected, a power surge flowed through Amy, feeling like billions of pleasant electric shocks in every atom of her body. Her eyes grew wider as her whole body started to glow, emitting a soft pink light from her ears to her boots. It was only then she realized her boots were hovering above the ground; she was flying?!

"What the hell…" Sonic said, his jaw slack as he stared at Amy's transformation. She looked beyond stunning - and that was not even a good enough phrase to describe her.

But nothing could prepare them for what happened next. A dark purple spirit suddenly floated out of the gemstone, taking its place in the air above the two hedgehogs; this was enough to stop Eggman from escaping and turn to watch. The spirit itself was featureless, not humanoid at all, instead resembling a sort of amoeba. Sonic, Amy, and Eggman could only gape at the spirit, not sure if they should try to run or fight.

"Amy Rose," The spirit spoke in a voice like a whisper, and yet loudly filled their ears.

"Yes?" the girl asked, afraid, and yet feeling more powerful than ever.

"I have met most of your friends, and have learned much about you through them. It's nice to finally meet you, as it seems you are the center of the recent uses of my power."

Amy was too overwhelmed and confused to understand what it meant. "Who are you?"

"My name is Desiree. I am the spirit of the pink sapphires you hold."

Amy looked down at the heart-shaped gems in her hand. "I…"

"You have many questions, I see. I will do my best to explain. The gems you hold are ancient, and new at the same time. They have been forming since this world's beginning. Each half of the sapphires you hold was molded from the emotions of the beings of this world. Every tear that has ever been cried has soaked into the earth, watering the ground, the emotions of the teardrop flowing and gathering underground to form into a crudely shaped half-heart gemstone. Similarly, every note of laughter has echoed off the hills, bouncing from mountain to mountain and eventually reaching a cave deep inside the belly of the earth. The joyful sound waves have produced the other half of the stone. When put together, joy and pain create the two sides of being's desires."

"So that's where they come from, but… why me? And what does that have to do with you?"

"I will answer your second question first. As I said, I am the spirit of the sapphires. I have felt every tear, experienced every laugh. I have known the heartbeat of every being that has ever lived, and I know what they each truly desire and dream about. And now, so can you."

"But why… am I really special somehow?"

"No, you're not particularly special. I have felt billions and billions of desires, and yours are not exactly unique. Unrequited love is quite common, my dear. But you are able to wield these sapphires because you have a pure heart, and know exactly what it is you desire. And you are able to easily listen to and read others to determine their wants as well. For this reason, you can use the sapphires."

"Wait a minute," Sonic suddenly interjected. "This is cool and all, but what does all of this desire stuff have to do with the dimension swapping?"

"Ah, yes. Well, therein lies the true power of the pink sapphires. Not only can they read the being's true desires, but it can bring them to a time and place where those desires and dreams are met."

They all paused, still in confusion.

"So that means…" Amy started, the wheels of her mind turning. She could feel the answer on the tip of her tongue, and then it came to her as from the Pink Sapphires themselves. "They were first used on my world's version of Sonic. So he was taken to a place where - " she couldn't finish the sentence because she was smiling and giggling too much. There's no way this was real! It was too good to be true!

Desiree filled in for her. "Ah yes, Sonic is indeed an interesting one. When my power was used on him, I was able to look into his heart. I found mostly contentment, as he's a powerful being. Sonic has been able to live most of his life exactly how he wants, and constantly works to create the perfect life and world for himself. But there was one thing in his heart that wasn't perfect for him. One thing he was unsure of, one thing giving him emotional anguish, one thing he couldn't understand. One thing that he wanted and dreamed and desired more than anything, but couldn't see it, or admit it, even to himself. Deep in his heart, he wished to be happy with the most important girl in his life. You, Amy."

"I knew it!" Amy yelled to the heavens, soaring through the air in her super form. Tears of joy fell from her eyes to the stones in her hand, and she laughed in joy, the musical notes directly absorbed as well. "I knew it! I always knew Sonic loved me!"

"Wow," was all Sonic could say, utterly flummoxed. He couldn't dispute anything Desiree was saying, but he was overwhelmed with doubt. Could he really let a spirit tell him exactly how he felt, and what he should do? Was his ultimate dream to really be with Amy?

Eggman, who had been listening with varying levels of interest to the conversation, had only stuck around to hear what the gem's full power was. And he was curious about one thing.

"Yes, this is all very interesting," he butted in, "But the sapphires were not only used on Sonic. I used them on myself, and also Tails has been swapped. All of us went to the same place. Why was I not brought to the world of my fantasies? I would have expected a lot more conquering and power and servants and - "

Desiree interrupted him. "That is because at the time of using the stones, all of the beings using them were only aware of the power to swap places, and of only one other dimension. Each of you had the strong thought of 'take me to the place where Sonic went', and so that's where each of you ended up."

Eggman rubbed his hands together greedily. "So if I were to use them again, with different thoughts - "

"Not a chance Eggman!" Amy yelled at him, her green eyes glowing intensely. "Not while I'm guarding these gems."

"I can't believe this! An impetuous teenage brat is being granted nearly unlimited power here! It's unfair."

"Oh boohoo," Sonic taunted him.

The spirit spoke. "It's hardly unlimited power, Dr. Robotnik. I feel you still wish others would call you that, yes?"

"That's not important!"

"The stones cannot make someone go somewhere or do something they don't want."

"But in the wrong hands, when used by someone with bad intentions..." Sonic pointed out.

"It will still only affect them. Though I admit some may be displeased by their desires and subsequent actions."

"Fine, one more question, if we can steal more of your time, spirit," Eggman said. "What about those inanimate objects that myself and my inferior counterpart used the Egg Stones on?"

"...those are no concern of mine."

"What?" Sonic demanded. "But you're the one that sent them to another world or whatever? Tails is trying to figure out where they went!"

"Yes, our worlds are losing energy due to those experiments my idiot other self did!" Eggman agreed.

"No. You used cold, lifeless machines on other lifeless objects. Neither of which I have any interest in. Those you will have to solve yourself. I can only deal with desires of living, breathing organisms."

"But…"

"I believe I have been here long enough. Amy Rose, I trust you to take care of these pink sapphires. Make sure they are found in the other world, as well."

"I will!" Amy nodded enthusiastically, still ecstatic.

And with that, Desiree the spirit was sucked back into the Pink Sapphires, disappearing into their shiny cores. Amy watched with huge eyes, still soaking in everything that was just said. She had to admit, she was more excited about the fact that Sonic really loved her than any newfound powers she had. She broke the stones apart with her hands, and she floated back to the ground, her super form holstered for now.

"Get out of here, Egghead," Sonic sneered.

"Hmph. You two haven't seen the last of me. I will get those stones from you, Amy Rose!" He waved his fist at them and escaped.

Now that his arch-nemesis was gone, Sonic turned his attention back to Amy. While her super form glow had long gone, she was still metaphorically glowing. The girl had done amazingly well in battle, nearly as good as his own Amy, but here she was with eyes glazed over and dreaming of her lover boy. He sighed.

"Amy, you can't tell the other Sonic about this," he interrupted her daydream.

"What?" She blinked back to reality.

"Trust me, if he hears that he's in love because of some weird spirit thing said so, he'll want to run away even more. You need ta let him figure out himself. He doesn't like anyone telling him what to do." Sonic spoke just as much for himself as his counterpart.

"But… but now I know what he really wants. And that's me."

"Yeah, but remember what that thing said - "

"You mean Desiree."

"Yeah, that spirit thing. It said he was confused and still hasn't admitted it to himself. So trust me, if you go up to him and spout off some nonsense about those stones, he's not gonna like it."

His words certainly put a damper on her mood. She visibly slouched, but then straightened herself. Sonic was right, she would have to wait a little longer. But that was okay - she'd waited this long, and know that she knew his true heart, it would make it much easier.

"Okay, Sonic," she said with a smile. "You're right. But what do we do now? Are you ready to head back and tell the others? We need to find the stone in the other dimension, that should help out Tails a lot."

Oh, right. _That._ Sonic's stomach curled into knots. "No… not yet. I can't."

"Oh come on," Amy huffed. "Desiree's words could apply to you as well."

"No, they don't. Your Sonic is still a different dude than me. Alright?"

Amy snapped the sapphires back together, instantly transforming herself. She looked into Sonic's eyes for just a moment and found her answer.

"Your true desire is to be with Amy. Just like my Sonic," she said, de-transforming herself.

He crossed his arms and closed his eyes in annoyance. "Amy, that's not fair. How do I know you're telling the truth?"

"Believe me, Sonic. I wouldn't lie to you. I promise."

Her words sounded genuine. He sighed and opened his eyes. "Remember what I said about not liking to be told whatta do? Well, I hate this. So don't do that again."

"Okay. I just wanted to help. So… um, what do we do now, then?"

"Hm. Well, you seem to be the heroine here, not me. What's your call?" Sonic smiled again, slipping back to his normal personality.

Amy stared down at the pink sapphires in her hand. "I'm going to swap myself."

Sonic froze with a instant sense of dread. "No, please, I don't want to face the other Amy now."

"You want me to be more independent and make my own decisions? Well, that's what I'm doing. None of this is getting solved until _you two_ get solved, so don't tell me what to do. This is for the best of all of us."

Sonic's jaw dropped. Amazing how with a little bit of time, and a sudden power trip, Amy had become so sassy and independent. And yet, she still had that sweetness about her. She had her arms crossed to make her look so tough and mad, but Sonic just found her cute and adorable instead.

Her cuteness, though, suddenly turned intense as Amy connected the gems to make herself glow.

"I'll see you on the other side, Sonic," Amy smiled at him sweetly. "Thanks for all your advice."

"See ya on the flipside, Ames," Sonic said back, and as the white light blinded him, he braced himself to meet his girlfriend once again.

* * *

 _So, a few notes - yes, I went there. I gave Amy a super form. The girl really deserves one, after all, pretty much every other major character has one. I'll be saying a lot more on this topic later on in the story, so look for that._

 _(The "get ready to be schooled_ _" quote by Eggman is from Sonic Rush, and every time I hear it I have to giggle, and so I wanted to add it. Seriously google it if you haven't heard it, it's great.)_

 _Also, and this is a big deal to me, I now have more than 500,000_ _words archived on this site! It's been one of my goals for a long time, and I'm proud to finally achieve it, especially with a chapter like this. Thanks to everyone for your support recently and in the past. It means the world to me!_


	11. Surprises

_IT'S NO USE I'M OUTTA USE, goobi, Lynkia, SonicPL2012, KnightOfTheWind, ItzDarkky, SonicStory, 01SonAmy01, Byrd3-13:_

 _Yay, you guys like my story~! It honestly makes me so happy. :D_

 _I also want to mention something a few of you (including KnightOfTheWind and ItzDarkky) mentioned about the sapphires being similar to the Phantom Ruby from Sonic Mania. Absolutely, it is! Sonic Mania, Sonic Forces, and the Phantom Ruby are huge inspirations to me, and part of the reason I got back into writing Sonic stories again. I really hope Forces' story is good, and has some SonAmy moments. Either way, I'll probably write a story about whatever Sonic and Amy's interaction is in the game. As far as my other inspirations, I plan on listing them at the very end of the story, including which songs I listen to while writing._

 _Okay. You guys better prepare yourself for some serious fluff and cuteness..._

* * *

Chapter 11: Surprises

* * *

 _"I'm sorry I took too long to tell you and show you this, but I… really do love you," he whispered again, using his strong arms to secure his grasp on her. "Guess this is the first thing I was slow on, heh…"_

 _Amy angled her head up, resting it on his shoulder to look into his eyes. "It's okay, Sonic. I forgive you. I've loved you for so long, and I've always waited… and now… I'm so happy you feel the same. I don't care about the past anymore, I just want to be with you now."_

* * *

 **Alternate Dimension - Original Sonic, Original Amy**

As soon as Sonic saw the unmistakable bright light, he internally cursed and untangled himself from Amy's arms. How had the girls been swapped? What had happened in their world? Either way, he was not about to be caught red handed with his arms around the other Amy. No way he could explain to his Amy what they'd been doing.

No way he could explain anything to this girl.

As much as he'd practiced with AltAmy, Sonic was not ready to meet up with OrAmy again. There was so much going on inside of him, so many conflicting emotions. His mind was screaming for him to just go for it as he always did, but his heart made him freeze up and hesitate. He now knew that's why he always hated being around Amy Rose.

And now, here she was, looking even lovelier than he remembered her, sitting in the same spot as the girl he'd been hugging just a moment earlier.

"Hi Sonic," she said with a giggle. "It's me."

"Hiya Ames," Sonic said slowly, taking care to pronounce his words and not stutter, as he was very prone to do around her.

"Didya miss me?" Amy asked, batting her eyes at him.

"Well… I was just with you, so not really," he teased, grinning and crossing his legs to fight his anxiety.

"You know what I meant," Amy said and playfully slapped his arm.

"Yeah, yeah, I did."

So far, so good. He'd gotten through the first few seconds. Sonic took a deep breath.

"So, how did you get here all of a sudden?"

"Well, that's kinda a long story." Her eyes suddenly lit up. "Do you have the pink sapphire?"

"The what?"

"The pink sapphire, you know, the gemstone that's been swapping all of us?"

Sonic reached into his quills to produce it. "Yeah it's right here."

Amy's eyes shone brightly. "Let me see it."

Sonic hesitated, confused by her actions. Why was she not fawning over him, hugging him tightly, kissing him, begging to be with him? Why was she acting almost normal, and strangely attracted to this gem? His suspicions were rising, and he hid the gem back in his quills.

"Amy, what's going on?"

She looked at him with innocent eyes. "What do you mean? Just let me see the gem and I'll explain."

"Why do you want to see it so badly? You're acting weird."

Amy bit at her lip, wanting to tell him. But AltSonic's words rang in her ears - she couldn't tell Sonic about her powers. If she did, she'd have to force him into confronting his feelings, and she knew he'd want to do that on his own terms. Now that she knew for sure that Sonic loved her, she could wait. No need to try and catch his eye or attention anymore.

"Trust me, Sonic. The pink sapphires were what swapped me over here - but there's actually two of them. We found that out in the other world, and that's what brought me here."

"Wait, another one? What?"

"Yeah, I chased after the other Sonic, and finally caught up to him. But Eggman found us, he had another of the gems, and we had to fight him. We managed to take the Pink Sapphire he had, so now they have two. It looks like they fit together somehow."

"Huh." Sonic pulled out the gem and squinted at it. "Do you think there's another one of these in this world?"

Amy nodded vigorously. "Yes, there has to be. I bet that's why Tails has struggled to figure out how all this works. Actually… I know exactly where the other one is."

He whipped his head in her direction. "You do? Where is it, Amy?"

She held out her hand. "Let me see the sapphire. Please."

Sonic hesitated just a moment before placing the stone in Amy's hands. As he felt the warmth of her touch, he let the contact linger just a moment longer. Even the feeling of her fingertips against his created a spark. For him the moment seemed to last longer than it did, and he visibly drooped when Amy snatched the gem and clasped her fingers around it instead of his hand.

Amy closed her eyes, loving the feeling of holding the teardrop shaped gem again. She could feel part of her powers coming back, but more importantly, she could innately sense where the stone's twin was.

Her eyes flew open and she looked deep into Sonic's eyes. She could vaguely sense how he was feeling: eager, nervous almost. Amy could also tell he really wanted to be with her right now - desperately, even. The feeling thrilled her deep down, and she couldn't contain her grin. But for now, she'd have to focus on something other than him.

"I'm going to go find it," she said, standing up.

"I'll go with you," Sonic offered, now on his feet.

"Yay! It's gonna be fun! Let's go, Sonic!" Amy said and immediately took off out the door, running just like Sonic himself always did.

Not to be outdone, and suddenly finding himself even more attracted to Amy, Sonic followed close on her heels. She was running decently fast, and Sonic didn't feel they were lacking in speed at all. Wherever this gem was, they'd get there soon enough. Speaking of which…

"Where did you say we were going?" Sonic called ahead, not used to following someone else. It was as if they'd suddenly changed roles.

Amy tried to turn her head around, but immediately got disoriented. She wasn't quite as skilled as Sonic at running backwards. Realizing the issue, Sonic sped up to run beside her so she could speak easily.

"You like adventure, right? Well, this will be a fun adventure for the both of us!"

Before responding, Sonic took a moment to just look at the girl running next to him, matching his speed, running as if she knew exactly where she wanted to go. She smiled softly before looking ahead again, her eyes focused and concentrated. He was definitely surprised that she wasn't fawning over him with obsession - and kinda wished that she would. If Amy would suddenly stop, give him a hug and kiss, he wouldn't push her away this time.

Sonic now understood why Amy followed him everywhere - he would follow this girl to the ends of the earth. He felt lovesick, overwhelmed by the butterflies attacking his stomach.

Sonic had no idea what it was, but someone had just flipped a switch in his heart, and now he was head over heels for this girl. He didn't want to find the other Pink Sapphire, he wanted to pull Amy into his arms and say how he felt, or he might explode.

He to tell her. They could be walking into anything, and he'd never forgive himself if he didn't tell her his feelings. Sonic opened his mouth, but all that came out was air. Why? _Why_? He grumbled inaudibly, frustrated with himself. Why was this so hard? Why not just open his mouth and say…. and say… _and say…_

He couldn't even think the words. Sonic tore his gaze away from Amy, and tried to get a grip on his surroundings. They were heading south, towards the Green Mountains, home of the tallest peak on this side of the world. If this was somehow Eggman leading him into a trap, Sonic didn't even care. No cage could hold him, he could fight any evil, and even if he couldn't even talk to this girl, he just wanted to be near her. She made him feel like nothing he'd ever experienced. And he wanted to feel more - not just because he was a thrill junkie, but because he just wanted to care for her and keep her safe.

"It's in that mountain, I know it. I can feel it," Amy said suddenly, breaking his thoughts.

He squinted at her. "How can you feel it?"

"You'll see, Sonic, okay?"

Amy was being so mysterious, but he didn't care. No matter where they ended up, he wasn't letting her out of his sight.

The hedgehog pair zipped up the mountain before reaching the peak. Amy slowly came to a stop when they were at the top of a steep plateau, taking a moment to catch her breath, although it was difficult in the thin air. Sonic stopped next to her and surveyed their surroundings. Mostly evergreen trees sprawled out for miles and miles, although a river leading into a lake lay to their east.

"It's gotta be in this mountain. Do you know if there's a cave or some other entrance, Sonic?"

"I think so. Let's check it out."

Without thinking, Sonic pulled Amy into his arms and took off down the side of the cliff. He smiled down at the girl who was positively beaming up at him. He'd find the cave for this girl if it was the last thing he did. And he'd find it fast, too.

Just when he was getting his confidence back, he felt a sudden peck of warmth on his cheek. He looked down at Amy, and notice her lips were slightly puckered - _she'd just kissed him_. His whole face turned bright red at the realization. The lingering sensation of her lips against his skin was making his knees weak, and it took every ounce of effort he had to neither drop Amy nor trip and fall. Amy giggled in his arms, which definitely didn't help the situation.

Cave. Cave, find the cave, he tried to remind himself, but it was difficult with the amazing girl in his arms. Sonic held her even closer, managing to tear his eyes away to actually look at where he was going.

"There, there!" Amy suddenly pointed, and Sonic turned quickly. He'd been right, there was an opening in the rock formation, but near the peak where they'd just been, not near the bottom. It wasn't nearly as deep as the tunnels he'd ran through earlier in the day.

"Are you sure, Ames?" Sonic asked as he came to a halt in front of the mouth of the grotto.

"Yes, don't stop, it's right up ahead," she said. The sapphire in her hand was glowing intensely.

"I get the feelin' there's somethin' you're not telling me…" he said as Amy struggled out of his arms and he reluctantly let her go.

"It's gotta be in here - look, there!" Amy sped to the middle of the grotto, where a perfect pink gem sat, ledged between two white stones. It all looked like it had been kept pristine for millennia, and the wind and elements had carved it to its current shape. She took the other sapphire in her free hand, and then turned to a skeptical looking Sonic.

"Well, Sonic, I have a surprise for you…" she was beaming so cutely.

His heart flipped in his chest, and the anticipation was killing him. "What is it…?" he dared to ask.

"I hope you like it." She fit the two sapphires together, and felt the now-familiar rush of energy fill her body. Bright light enveloped her body, now glowing with a warm shade of bubble gum pink. Feeling lighter and more powerful, Amy glided out of the grotto and even higher into the air, but not leaving Sonic behind.

Meanwhile, Sonic was staring at her with a slack jaw, speechless at what had just happened in front of his own eyes.

"Well, what do you think, Sonic? Do you like my new look?" Amy did a spin in the air, letting her skirt twirl around her legs she knew Sonic loved so much.

"What the hell… What is this… you have a Super form?"

"I do now! These pink sapphires have sorta attached themselves to me, and when I bring them together, they turn me into this!"

"Wow… I never thought, never imagined… wow… just wow…" He continued to stare at her, his heart now hurting at how gorgeous she was. She looked incredible - the soft pink glow highlighted her features, making her look even more lovely. It wasn't fair, and shouldn't be legal how amazing she looked. Sonic had been entranced by her before, but now? Forget it. He wasn't going to let this girl get away.

Now was his chance to share his feelings.

"Amy, I…" he shook his head. "Why didn't you tell me this before we left?"

"I wanted to surprise you," she continued to grin at him.

"Well, you definitely did. Wow… you look incredible."

Amy grinned even more, doing another twirl. "Thanks, Sonic~!"

"So, you can obviously fly… what are your other powers?"

Amy's grin become suddenly more flirty. "Why don't you come up here and find out?"

Oh, Sonic was definitely taking her up on that offer. He pulled the Chaos Emeralds out of his quills, and used their power to go Super himself. After his quills and fur turned golden, and his eyes red, Sonic soared through the air to float next to Amy. He took her hands in his and looked at her with tenderness.

"Amy, I… lo... " he stuttered out, his whole body warm as he was so close to her. His tongue was twisted.

She was looking back at him with such purity and care, he couldn't believe how lucky he was. How had he run away from her for so long…? He was done with all of that. No more doubts, no more hesitation.

He brought his hands to her back to pull her closer, and shivered slightly as her hands gently gripped his back quills. Sonic leaned forward to touch his forehead to hers, their eyes locked, their noses brushing, their lips mere inches away. He felt moisture on his cheeks, and noticed Amy was crying happy tears. He moved his hand from her back to softly wipe at her cheeks, gathering her tear with his gloves. She tightened her grasp on him, and Sonic brought his hands down her back, cupping her slender waist and sinking his fingers into her skin. Their lips were nearly touching, and Sonic moved his only slightly.

"I love you," he whispered before leaning in to seal the kiss.

Their first kiss together was everything they wanted - passionate, as they'd waited years for this, tender, as they truly cared for each other, and thrilling, as excitement and intense feelings rushed through each of their bodies. Even though Sonic and Amy were in their Super forms, each of them felt weak from sharing the same air as their crush, their lips dancing together in harmony. Their hearts beat rapidly as their chests pressed together, intense spikes of pleasure shocking their bodies from their ears through their hearts and down to their feet.

The moment was magical, electric, enchanting, romantic. They flew higher and higher into the air, both on cloud nine in each other's arms. It was the pinnacle of emotional and physical pleasure for both of them up to this point. Of course, it was neither of their first kiss individually, as their dimensional counterparts had each kissed them, but this felt a million times better for both hedgehogs.

It was a good thing their Super forms gave them more lung capacity, as the hedgehogs kissed and kissed until they simply had to pause. But they stayed in each other's arms, never wanting the romantic moment to end. Amy snuggled into Sonic's shoulder, and he gently kissed her forehead.

"Amy," he whispered in her ear after kissing it a few times.

"Mmm?" she purred. Her hands had made their way up to his neck, and she was now playing with his quills.

"I'm sorry I took too long to tell you and show you this, but I… really do love you," he whispered again, using his strong arms to secure his grasp on her. "Guess this is the first thing I was slow on, heh…"

Amy angled her head up, resting it on his shoulder to look into his eyes. "It's okay, Sonic. I forgive you. I've loved you for so long, and I've always waited… and now… I'm so happy you feel the same. I don't care about the past anymore, I just want to be with you now."

"I'm gonna make it all up to you, alright? As soon as we fix this, get back to our dimension, I'm gonna take you out. I promise. We can do anything and everything you like."

Her eyes lit up. "Oh Sonic, I'd love that."

He smiled wider. "Great, I can't wait."

They floated in silence for awhile, just enjoying the splendid view around them and each other's presence. Sonic finally broke the silence.

"So, about those powers…"

"What, was my kiss not powerful enough for you?" she mocked offense.

"Oh no, trust me… that felt… incredible. The best I've ever felt, Ames. You're an amazing kisser. I just meant, the powers those gems give you. What do they really do? I'm curious."

"You seem very interested in them, Sonic. Are you jealous?" She teased.

"No way, your Super form really suits you, and mine is way past cool. I just wanna know what my girl can do."

"So I _am_ your girl now?" Amy asked, clenching her fists around his quills in excitement.

Sonic only winced a little from the tug. "Of course, Ames. If you wanna be, I mean. I'm not gonna force it on ya."

"Oh Sonic, of course I want to be your girlfriend!" She screamed in excitement, tugging even more on Sonic's quills. He leaned back slightly to compensate.

"Whew," he faked wiping sweat from his forehead. "I was afraid you'd _never_ say yes…"

"Oh stop it, you know I've wanted this forever!"

"Yeah, well you deserve it. Besides, it's only fitting that Sonic's girl is her own hero, with a Super form and all. Ya know, I have a feelin' there's a lot about you I don't know, and I can't wait to get ta know ya better, Ames."

"Awwwww, that's so sweet," Amy said, her mouth starting to get sore from smiling so much. "So, about these sapphires…"

"Mmmm-hmm…" Sonic agreed.

"They're pretty important."

"Yeah."

"We should really tell the others about them."

"Uh-huh, as soon as we can."

"Yeah, right away."

"Immediately."

"Definitely."

Amy leaned in to kiss Sonic once again, unable to get enough. Her lips were already feeling tired, but she'd waited years for this. And now, she finally had her hedgehog! She was Sonic's girlfriend. All of her dreams had come true in one day. Considering how the day had started for her, she couldn't be more surprised.

* * *

 **Original Dimension - Alternate Sonic, Alternate Amy**

Sonic reacted fast. He still wasn't prepared to face his girlfriend, but she would be here any moment. As soon as she appeared, a dazed expression on her face, Sonic snatched the pink gems away and pulled the girl into his arms. He then took off as quickly as his feet could take him.

"Ughhhh, what?" Amy blinked, the blinding light still affecting her eyes. The objects rushing past was not helping her orientation, either. She could feel two arms around her, though. "Sonic, what's going on? Where are you taking me?" She clutched onto him for dear life.

"Don't worry, Ames, we're fine. I just wanted to get us outta there."

She squirmed. "But why? Where are we? Did something happen?"

"Nothing, nothing, everything's fine."

Amy settled into his arms, her dizziness fading. "If you think this is gonna get you out of practicing, you're mistaken, Mr. Hedgehog."

He blinked. What was she talking about, practice?

"Huh?"

"Don't play dumb with me, Sonic. I _am_ going to get you to confess to Amy. It's our deal, after all."

Their 'deal'? Sonic scrunched his face in confusion. What was she on about? When had they made a deal? What was this about confessing to Amy? She'd just gotten back a second ago.

Then it hit him like a ton of bricks. She thought he was the other Sonic. Amy was the only one who hadn't been swapped yet, and she likely didn't recognize the bright light as characteristic of the swap. Well, this was a welcome surprise, and could be a lot of fun. He'd play along for now, until he could find the right time to tell her. Maybe he was being selfish, and he hated being dishonest, but he couldn't take the awkwardness right this moment.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," he fibbed. "I just thought it'd be cool to practice having a date."

"Hmph. Well, first lesson about taking a girl on a date. You _ask_ her, before you randomly grab her and run off at supersonic speeds."

He had to chuckle. "Okay, fair enough."

"So, let's try this again. Put me down."

Sonic screeched to a halt and set Amy on her feet, and couldn't hide his grin.

"What are you smiling for?"

"Nothin', nothin'. Okay, ahem," he cleared his throat and grinned, kneeling and stretching his arm out dramatically. "So, fair maiden Amy Rose, would you like to go on a date with me, your true love, Sonic the Hedgehog?"

She scowled at him. "Stop being a goofball."

"What?! I'm just - "

"This is all so easy for you," she said while rolling her eyes. "You don't really need to practice. You're both just perfect, huh?"

Sonic thought for a second and then nodded. "Yeah, pretty much."

Amy pulled out her hammer, and Sonic jumped back, his eyes wide in fear.

"So you _don't_ wanna go on a date, or…?"

Amy huffed and holstered her hammer. "Let's go, Sonic. I regret ever offering you my help."

He had to laugh as he pulled her into his arms again. She felt so right there, nestled against him, that adorable scowl on her pretty face. She was so cute when she was angry, he couldn't help but try to elicit that look from her. Sonic was just staring down at her, not moving, and Amy looked up at him expectantly.

"So where are we going?"

"Where do you wanna go, Ames? I'm sure you got tons of date ideas."

His attitude was so relaxed, so calm, that it balanced her a little. She couldn't stay angry with this version of Sonic for too long. "Let's get dinner. I'm actually really hungry, and could use a burger and fries."

"You got it."

He took off and got them to the nearest diner, dropping her off at the entrance and opening the door for her as a true gentleman. This slightly infuriated Amy, as he was just too good at this. How did he know exactly what to do, how to be so romantic….? Her Sonic wasn't this good right away. Something was a bit odd.

The two secured a corner booth away from most other patrons, but still gathered a few stares and whispers in their direction. Sonic couldn't go out in public without most people noticing him.

After they'd ordered and were waiting on their food, Sonic started the conversation. "So, since I obviously don't need anymore practice, Ames, what about you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well…. You said you had somethin' to say to your Sonic, but he ran off before you could tell him."

She took a sip of her drink and then played with the straw. "I already told you that."

She had? Now he was even more curious. He'd have to weasel this out of her. Even if she'd kill him later for tricking her, he had to know.

"Yeah, but, ya still gotta tell the other me about it, right? Why not practice that?"

"Not much to practice, Sonic. I'm just gonna tell him I've been a selfish jerk and I deserved to be dumped." Her hands clutched the table, turning her knuckles white under her gloves.

Sonic sat still, stunned. What could she possibly mean?

"Amy… you haven't been selfish at all," he had to say, breaking his character.

"But I have. He said he needed a break, and it's because all I've ever cared about in our relationship was me, and what I wanted. There was no way I ever really loved him if I never cared about how he felt."

"Amy…" was all he could say, surprised at the words coming out of her mouth. He'd never considered her selfish at all. He'd enjoyed every single moment they'd spent together, even if Amy controlled most of what they did. Sonic never cared to take control in that way, and was always easy-going about it. The only reason he'd been feeling weird is because he felt like he was losing himself - and there was no way that was Amy's fault, but his. He couldn't let her beat herself up for his own mistakes.

"You shouldn't blame yourself because he's a big dumb-dumb for dumping you."

"But he's not. I don't deserve him. I even thought for the longest time that he didn't really love me, but the truth was, I didn't really love _him_. I just wish I could have told him I was sorry for being a selfish needy brat before he ran off. Like he always does. Oh…" Tears were starting to form in her eyes as she continued.

"I gave all of my life, my heart to chasing Sonic, and when I finally got him, I felt so happy. But now that things aren't perfect, and I can't have him, I just feel so empty. That he's all I have, and without him I'm nothing. I just don't know what I want anymore. If I do somehow get him back, I don't know what I can offer him anymore. He's so perfect, he has everything he could ever want, and what could I give him? He could have any girl he wants, so why me?"

This was becoming unbearable for Sonic. His heart was breaking that Amy felt like this - could he tell her the truth now? How would she react?

"Amy, I… can't speak for the other guy, but… I can tell you what I see in you."

She sniffed. "What is it?"

"You're brave, and strong, and sweet. As much as I joked about being perfect earlier, I'm not. And you have always been the one to remind me of my own flaws. That's why I always ran I guess. Around you I lose my confidence, because you're so… over the top with emotions. You're so happy, so energetic, so eager to enjoy life, just like me, but in a different way. I've always admired that you're stubborn and know what you want - you're determined. And, this is important Ames, you're not selfish at all."

Her brow furrowed in confusion. "But…" she stared at him with clouded vision, her heart melting at the genuineness in his eyes and voice. "I'm still nothing without him. I've given him years of my life…"

"Well, I've been feelin' like that a lot lately, actually, Ames. I've been so caught up in you that I feel like I've lost myself, and that's something I never wanted to happen. I had to get away to figure it out, but - I just feel more and more confused about what I really want."

"What do you mean, _me_? Don't you mean your Amy?"

Sonic looked away, avoiding the question.

"Wait." Amy looked around them, and then back at Sonic himself. "Wait. You're… don't tell me… you're... "

He nodded, his eyes still focused on something across the room.

"Sonic… but…" she gasped, realizing she'd just bared her heart and thoughts to him without knowing. That bright light she'd seen must have been what swapped her to the other world. He'd tricked her! But she was too stunned to be mad. His behavior in the past few minutes suddenly made sense.

"I'm sorry, Amy. I am. But I couldn't face you at first… I was ashamed of how I ran off. But I just had to get away."

"But why…? What happened? Why do you want to break up?"

"I don't want to break up, Amy. I don't." He sighed heavily, his chest heaving. "I did an awful job of tellin' you my thoughts and feelings and that's my bad. You know I've always been bad at this stuff. But it's no excuse, I know."

"Then how _do_ you feel?"

He looked away again. "It's hard to describe."

"Just try, Sonic, Just say whatever comes to mind," Amy encouraged.

He took a deep breath. "Alright… It's hard because I don't want to leave your side, and yet I just need to get away sometimes. I've been thinkin' Ames…. And I just don't see how it's possible. But, but, but, I do wanna be with you more than anything. I thought that running away would help me solve this, but the other Amy chased me and it was even more frustrating. Ya know why I've always ran from you, Ames? Because you made me feel things, things I wasn't comfortable with, things I've never signed up to feel. I wanted to outrun myself, my own heart even, and I couldn't. I don't know what the answer is, or what to do. I'm not used to this feeling of defeat."

"Sonic… I think I understand."

"You do?"

"Yeah, like I said… I've been spending all our time together doing what I want, and I haven't cared nearly enough for you… you've sacrificed so much, and I've made you unhappy."

"You haven't."

"But I have. Enough for you to want a break."

"I've never been unhappy with you, Ames. I've only been unhappy with me. I don't want to lose myself. Maybe that's selfish of _me_. See? I'm the selfish one."

Amy shook her head. "You're not - I don't want you to stop doing what you love, I never have. I want you to still run and be a hero and go on adventures and be Sonic. Those are all things I love about you."

They shared a smile right as their food arrived. Amy picked at her fries, and Sonic didn't immediately wolf down his chili dogs. Both hedgehogs just felt there was no right answer to the questions in their minds.

Amy suddenly looked up at him. "How did I not realize it was you? It seems so obvious now."

He shrugged. " 's okay, I did the same thing with your other version. I didn't realize it wasn't you for, ahem, a _while_ …"

Amy raised a skeptical eyebrow. "What did you do with her?"

Sonic gulped, sweat forming near his ears. He grinned sheepishly. "Nothing _too_ naughty…"

"Sonic!"

"What, I didn't know it wasn't you!"

She narrowed her eyes at him.

"After I found it wasn't you, I immediately stopped doing romantic things. Honest!"

Amy felt herself smiling in spite of herself, mostly because she remembered she'd done a similar thing with OrSonic. Man that kiss had been nice… so she couldn't be too mad at him for that.

"I believe you," she gave him a small, but still sweet smile.

They took a few moments to eat and think.

"So, we can agree that we want to stay together?" Amy asked.

Sonic nodded. "Yeah, most def. But, I just need to figure some stuff out. Maybe spend a bit less time together. Be our own selves, ya know?"

"I agree, Sonic. I think, maybe, we both lost ourselves a bit in this. It might be good for me to get a life outside of you."

"Not too far away from me, I hope," Sonic offered her a smile, and his hand across the table.

Amy happily took it, giving it a squeeze. She loved how their fingers still fit together.

"This stuff is complicated, but we'll figure it out, Sonic."

"Together?" He winked.

"Together."

Sonic got up and sat on Amy's side of the booth, wrapping her in a hug. Amy leaned in closer, and found his lips, capturing them in a bittersweet kiss. Maybe things weren't the best, but they were together again, and they understood each other. That would be enough for now.

"I love you, Sonic," she said as she nuzzled into his chest.

"I love you, too, Amy," he said tenderly, holding her close.

They sat for a moment, just letting themselves be together.

"Oh, I almost forgot," Sonic said, breaking the hug but still sitting next to Amy. He reached into his quills. "So these are the pink sapphires."

He handed them over, ready to see his Amy in her super form. It'd definitely cheer both of them up. But to his shock, when the stones touched Amy's hands - nothing happened.

"So there's two of them," Amy said and held them both in her cupped hands. She studied them intently. When she'd first seen them, she felt eager to hold them, but now she felt nothing.

"That's so weird." Sonic scratched his head.

"What is it?" Amy looked up.

"Don't you feel something?"

"Am I supposed to?"

Sonic looked away, still confused. "Well, the other Amy did."

"What do you mean, Sonic? Tell me what happened. Does this have to do with how we were swapped just now?"

He didn't want to do this, but it was worth a shot. Sonic grabbed the pink sapphires back from Amy and looked down at them. "Desiree?"

" _Who_?"

"Desiree? What's going on? I thought you said Amy was the guardian of these gems…"

No response, other than Amy staring at him like he was crazy. There was no way he'd imagined the whole thing, right?

"Sonic, are you gonna tell me what's going on, or…"

He kept his eyes on the pink sapphires, willing Desiree to appear again. "The other Amy was able to use these stones to transform. She went Super."

" _What_?"

Sonic didn't respond.

"You're joking."

He kept staring at the gems.

Amy crossed her arms. "Okay, you're not joking. What do you mean she went Super?"

"She started floating and glowing, and she was able to feel others emotions and stuff. I don't know why it's not happening to you."

"Then why can't I do that?" Amy asked, still reeling from the fact that she might actually have a Super form. It was never something she'd considered possible before. He mind was spinning with possibilities.

"I have no idea, Ames. Maybe… we should get back to the others and figure this out."

"Okay," she agreed, still dazed from their conversation. What an emotional roller coaster this day had been, and it didn't look like it'd end anytime soon.

* * *

 _OMG EEEEEK SO FLUFFY AND CUTE OMG ADORABLE I LOVE IT~_


	12. Heartkeeper Amy

_TheGameNguyener, NeckBreak, IT'S NO USE I'M OUTTA USE, Byrd3-13, mickeyboy520, SonicStory, ItzDarkky, SonicPL2012, SpeedsMyGame, Hazel The Rabbit, Lynkia:_

 _Hello readers! Thanks for your reviews and follows, it means a lot to me! Yes, this story is not dead! I have plans to finish it, just like I promised. And what crazy plans they are..._

 _So I know it's been a while, and some of you have forgotten what's gone down so far. So, here's a quick summary so you don't have to re-read through 11 Chapters (unless you want to) :)_

 _Sonic, Amy, Tails, and Eggman have all swapped places in the two dimensions of this world. Original Characters refer to the very first chapter, where Sonic and Amy aren't together and follow the games storyline more or less. Alternate Characters refer to those that are in the other world where Sonic and Amy are together. Both couples have gotten together by now - the Originals have just confessed their love for the first time, and the Alternates have been going through some struggles with compromise and communication. Also, OrAmy just discovered she has a Super Form through the power of the Pink Sapphires, which allows her to determine the deep desires of a being. AltAmy does not currently have this Super Form, despite having both Pink Sapphires. The Original World is losing energy at a rapid rate and Tails is trying to figure out why, and has teamed up with Eggman. Only the doctor seems to have disappeared…._

* * *

 **Chapter 12: Heartkeeper Amy**

* * *

 _"What, you don't want to tell just me? I'm sure I can handle it and stop you myself."_

 _"Oh no. You see, I need your little girlfriend to complete this plan."_

 _"That Amy is not my girlfriend. But you better not lay a hand on either of them." Sonic clenched his fists._

 _"Heh, so very touching that you care so much for both of them. Are you double dipping?"_

 _"What? No! Of course not! Let's just go back. I can't wait to stop working with you."_

* * *

 **Both Dimensions**

"Wait, before we go back in there…"

AltSonic grabbed AltAmy's hand to prevent her from walking inside and meeting up with the others. But before Amy could even ask what he wanted, Sonic had already taken her in his arms and was kissing her. She gasped the air from his mouth, thrilled and taken aback by his sexy aggression. He had her back against the wall, his chest firmly pressed against hers, as his arms held the wall up behind her. She raised her own hands to intertwine with his fingers as they kissed each other deeply.

Feeling the pressure of her lungs, Sonic left her lips and instead traced his own down her face and the side of her neck. Her sensitive skin ached with pleasure at his passionate contact.

"Sonic…" she managed to breathe, "We're gonna get caught."

"I don't care," he whispered. "I'll get you out of here if they do…"

He was too much. Amy had to let out a moan as Sonic continued to pleasure her neck, her collarbone… his strong hands were tracing out her figure, and she wanted to touch him back, desperately even, but his caresses had her paralyzed. She wrapped her legs around his, and he took her cue by grabbing her behind and hoisting her up, still pushing her against the wall as she wrapped his waist with her legs. Her hands yanked at his quills, partially controlling how deep his kisses were, making him fight her to kiss her stronger.

They missed this. All of the pent up desire and longing they'd been feeling was now pouring out of their bodies, letting them get it out and express their deepest craving for each other.

"Okay…" Sonic said as he gently set Amy back on her feet. He took two long breaths to regulate his lungs. " _Now_ we can go inside."

"That was… incredible… I missed you so much…" Amy panted, still holding onto Sonic in order to be able to stand.

"You alright?" he grinned, amused at her shortness of breath.

"More than alright," she beamed, starting to get her bearings again. She took Sonic's hand and walked inside with him.

"We're back," Sonic announced, noticing Tails along with the other Sonic and Amy on the Monitor. It was the only way they were able to communicate since they were in difference dimensions.

"Sonic, Amy, welcome back. Sonic and Amy are also here," OrTails greeted them with a backwards wave.

"Where's Tails?" AltSonic asked, looking around their own building. "The other one, I mean."

OrTails sighed. "He went to look for Eggman, who disappeared."

"Eggman didn't disappear, he attacked us," AltSonic said.

"He did?" AltAmy asked.

"Yeah, he did when I was with him," OrAmy said. "Which reminds me, now that you're here… we have some news…" OrAmy said, clutching OrSonic's hand.

AltAmy squealed, her voice high-pitched with excitement. "You're getting married?"

Both Originals answered at once. " **Yes**!" " _No_!"

OrAmy glared at him. "What do you mean _no_?"

OrSonic gulped, fully aware of her hand squeezing his, cutting off his circulation and likely turning it purple. "Uh, I mean, not yet anyway…"

OrAmy rested her head on his shoulder and looked up at him with a dreamy gaze. "But one day, _right_?"

OrSonic leaned down to kiss her soft forehead. "You bet Ames."

"Oh Sonic!" She buried her lips into his.

"Aww, they're so cute," AltAmy murmured, looking up at AltSonic who smiled back.

He was happy too, after all, he was the one who helped OrAmy win him over; he gave the girl a thumbs up through the screen. He had to smile at his counterpart, too, because he knew what that rush of overwhelming butterfly feelings from early love was like. It wasn't too long ago that AltAmy made him feel the same… and now things were different in his heart towards her. More steady, more stable, but also deeper. Not so much a thrill, more a comfort. He loved her.

"What are you thinking about?" AltAmy asked him.

AltSonic leaned down to whisper in her ear. "How much I love you…"

Her heart melted, and AltAmy pulled him into an embrace. He was so wonderful, she wanted to do whatever it took to keep them together. No matter what she had to sacrifice.

"So. Ahem. Glad you two worked things out," Tails said. "You said you had some news?"

"Right!" OrAmy pulled out the sapphires. "So it turns out there's two of these."

"Oh, there are!" AltAmy pulled out hers. "Sonic said there were. And he also said you… were able to use them and go Super?"

"Wait, what? There are two of those things… and in each world? And you can somehow control them?" Tails whipped his head at OrAmy. "You have a Super Form too?"

OrAmy clicked the two gems together, igniting her body with pure energy. She floated a few inches off the ground, pink aura swirling around her. Tails and AltAmy each took a step back as their eyes flew open in disbelief.

"Wow… why can't I do that?" she looked down at the two sapphires in her own hands, and even tried to snap them together as OrAmy had done, but nope. Nothing. A bout of envy overtook her.

"You can't?" OrAmy asked.

"No… do you know why?"

OrAmy floated closer to the monitor connecting the two teams, staring deeply into AltAmy's eyes. Though they were only pixels, she could still see the girl's heart and deepest desires. She tilted her head back and forth as she learned the truth about this other version of herself, and what she truly wanted. And _didn't_ want...

"Uh, Ames?" OrSonic asked with impatience.

"Can I… talk to her alone for a few minutes?" OrAmy said.

AltAmy's heart froze. "What is it?"

"Oh, it's nothing bad," OrAmy broke the stare, finally. "I just don't want the boys here while we talk about, stuff. Girl stuff." She smiled, and AltAmy mirrored her reaction, feeling a bit better.

"Girl stuff, huh? What exactly can you do in this form?" OrSonic asked.

AltSonic cleared his throat. "Uh... it's probably better you don't know."

AltAmy stared at him. "You know about this?"

"I was with her when… well, I guess there's no point in keeping it a secret. Why don't you tell them," AltSonic said to OrAmy. The girl quickly filled them in on Desiree and the origin of the gems.

"So why you? And why not me?" AltAmy asked. "What did I do wrong?"

"Amy," OrAmy said with awkwardness. "It feels weird to even say your name… I guess, we haven't really gotten the chance to talk, just us, but it might be a good idea."

"So, wait, lemme get this straight. You can read minds?" OrSonic interjected, a look of terror on his face.

OrAmy shook her head. "No, Sonic. Nothing so shallow, I can only really see what's truly in people's hearts. I can't read random thoughts, only what they truly only when I have both of these. And, perhaps most importantly, the gems can be used to make someone's deepest desires come true, even if it means taking them to another world."

"Still… that's kinda… wow… no wonder you didn't wanna tell me…. So, uh, heh…" he gave Amy a good long look, head to toe, grinning sheepishly, "There's no way you can read my mind, right?"

Amy caught his gaze, and then her face burned bright red and her hammer was out in an instant.

"Sonic the Hedgehog!"

He was gone, nothing more than a gust of wind in his place. Amy fumed, breathing heavily, her chest heaving, but all of her friends were holding back laughter.

"What was he thinking?" AltAmy asked, but she was sure she knew the answer.

OrAmy dropped her hammer with a thud and crossed her arms. "What do you think? He was picturing me naked."

AltAmy looked at her boyfriend, who was trying so hard not to laugh.

"What's so funny, Sonic?"

"Nothin', nothin', nothin' at all…"

Tails suddenly snorted, and then Sonic couldn't help but crack up along with him. Within a few seconds they were both rolling on the floor.

"Ugh, boys," OrAmy rolled her eyes.

"Why are you mad…? Aren't you flattered he thinks about you like that?" AltSonic asked while wiping the laughter from his eyes.

"I mean, yeah… it was just kinda… unexpected was all. I... " she trailed off, a smile on her face.

"So…" Tails said, interrupting again. "You two girls want to talk, fine. Would you mind handing me the sapphires for just a moment so I can scan them? I bet this is the missing piece we've been looking for, and why our calculations have been off…actually that makes perfect sense now..."

"Yeah, just give them back," OrAmy agreed and gave Tails the sapphires. He quickly flew off with them to scan the energy readings, and then brought them back.

"Thanks Amy. I'll see if I can figure out what we've been missing."

"What about me? Want me to just take off for a bit?" AltSonic asked.

"Maybe you can find Tails," AltAmy said. "Or Eggman, either or."

"You got it. And Ames?"

"Yeah?" she looked at Sonic with big eyes.

"Love ya." He gave her a gentle peck on the cheek before rushing off.

The girl placed her glove hand on the spot his lips had just been. It was still warm, as if she could still feel his presence linger. He was so dreamy… Amy could tell she was falling for him again. First he kissed and pleasured her intensely, then he was soft and loving - Sonic was really too perfect. She couldn't handle him… any doubts she'd had about their relationship were disintegrating. In fact, it felt silly she even doubted either of their feelings in the first place. Of course she was meant to be with Sonic! She'd known that since she was a little girl.

"So, Amy…"

AltAmy snapped back to the present. "Sorry, I was daydreaming I guess."

"It still feels weird to know… that you're another me." OrAmy activated the gems again and stared into AltAmy's eyes.

"This is so strange… I'm still getting used to these abilities. I've only been able to do this for a little while, and the only hearts I've looked into so far have been Sonic just now, and your Sonic, and now, you."

"What did you see in my Sonic?"

"That…" OrAmy paused, trying not to get overly excited at what she was about to say. "He wants nothing more than to be with you. Truly."

AltAmy felt her eyes tearing up. "Really?"

"Yes. He loves you, Amy. But he's also confused about a lot of things. I didn't get the chance to read into him for too long because he got impatient, but on the outer layer of his heart - you were definitely there." OrAmy smiled sweetly at AltAmy, happy to see the girl happy.

AltAmy wrung her hands together as she looked off into the distance, a tear slowly falling down her chin. "You know, a few hours ago, before I got to talk to him again, I would have wondered what I wanted to do with my life, but it hasn't taken me long to realize what I truly want, too… to be with him. That's all I've ever wanted. There's nothing else..."

OrAmy's smile disappeared and she took a deep breath. How could she argue with the girl about what she saw in her own heart? "Amy… that's not what I saw in you at all. You're still confused and unsure of what you actually want. You doubt that it's Sonic, deep down, after all the pain he's put you through. But you know that if you leave him there will be more pain, so you're desperately clutching to the hope that he loves you and that you love him."

"What?" AltAmy was stunned at the words coming out of the girl's mouth - wise words that seemed out of place coming from Amy.

"I don't see in you what I saw in Sonic - you're much more complicated. While Sonic seemed sure of what he wanted, you're much less convinced that you actually want him. You feel like you have to want Sonic because he's all you wanted, all you've known, and you're scared to want anything else. He was able to picture you in his life, but you're not sure you can picture him in yours."

"How do you… know this? It's not true!" AltAmy summoned her hammer by instinct.

"These aren't my thought, they're yours."

"But that doesn't make sense! Sonic is all I've ever loved, all I've ever chased!"

"And once you got with him, were you happy? Were you satisfied?"

"Of course I was happy! He was all I ever dreamed he'd be!" AltAmy shouted, her voice echoing throughout the large room. Her heartbeat was out of control and her lungs were working at near peak capacity.

OrAmy just stared at her counterpart with sympathy. They both knew the truth.

"Then could it be he's not what you truly want?"

"Okay then, what _do_ I truly want, then? _You_ have the powers, so tell me."

OrAmy took another moment to study AltAmy's eyes, the window to her soul, so to speak. Amidst all of the heartbreak, angst, and uncertainty, she did see a common theme emerge from her desires.

"You want a lot of things… affection, attention, and most of all, love. Not just to receive it, but give it, too. You want love on your own terms, and you're not sure if Sonic can give it to you. You're afraid he's too wild and carefree to truly care for you, how you need him to… there's so much doubt about him…"

OrAmy took a deep breath, her head starting to pound with a headache.

"Okay, I'm done with this…" OrAmy unhooked the sapphires and let herself go back to normal. Reading and interpreting feelings had been exhausting for her. All of those thoughts and words had just come out of nowhere, as if Desiree had just created a direct link from AltAmy's heart to OrAmy's mouth. It felt so odd. She wasn't sure she liked these powers after all. Especially because Sonic himself didn't seem to be a fan of them either. He'd seemed to like how she looked, but would he truly support her as a new guardian?

"You know, the weird thing is, I feel like I was not only learning about you, but about myself," OrAmy mumbled as she sat down. "Now I'm not even sure if _I_ want to be with Sonic."

"You do. Just like I do, Amy." AltAmy smiled through the screen.

"How are you so sure? I was the one reading your heart…"

AltAmy thought for a second. "Nothing that you said was wrong… it's true that I have doubts about Sonic. I always have, ever since I first met him and he made my heart soar with longing to just be near him, and he didn't want anything to do with me. But the difference is that… I choose to keep believing in him, in us, no matter what he did and how mean he was. I had faith it'd work out in the end."

"You believe, _and_ you doubt?" OrAmy was confused now, after coming from the certainty of her Super Form.

"If I didn't have doubt, there would be no reason to have that leap of faith to believe in Sonic. Otherwise I'd be sure. But that seed of doubt, and the resulting seed of faith… that's what has kept me in love with him, and determined to be his girl, even as he treated me poorly. That's it, Amy. And you have that, too. I see how your Sonic has treated you, and yet you choose to stick with him."

"I've never abandoned Sonic before," OrAmy agreed.

"Can I give you some advice?" AltAmy asked.

"What?"

"Since I've been dating Sonic for a while, I've gotten to know him better, and... I want to make sure you don't do what I did. Make sure you take care of Sonic."

"Of course I will -"

"I mean it. As much as you want to do with him, things you like, make sure you let him be him, and don't stifle him. If he doesn't want to go out with you one day, don't freak out and drag him along anyway and make him miserable. It'll be better to miss him a little and let him miss you."

"I'm not sure anymore…" with some reluctance, OrAmy powered up the sapphires again, and took yet another long look into AltAmy's eyes. So much doubt, and so much faith, swirled in her heart, arguing back and forth, confusing her true desires. It was almost too much, and she had to rely on Desiree's abilities to guide her through the maze of emotion. Deep down though, she still saw nothing but uncertainty. As much as AltAmy talked about her want to be with Sonic, there were too many bad memories that clouded her judgement. A very strong part of her just wanted to leave him behind forever.

While she was powered up, OrAmy spoke to the gemstones. "Desiree, why did you make me a guardian and not this other Amy?" She closed her eyes, hoping to get an answer, but heard nothing. She shook her head. It didn't make sense. It seemed the only difference between them was that OrAmy was positive she wanted to be with Sonic, or AltAmy wasn't. But now, she wasn't so sure either, and yet was still powered up...

* * *

...XOXOXO...

 **Original Dimension - Alternate Sonic**

"So, Eggman. You gonna tell me what you did with Tails?"

Sonic stood underneath the Egg Mobile, taking his normal cocky pose with crossed arms and a smirk. It hadn't taken him long to find Eggman, as he'd just retraced his steps of where he and OrAmy had just been before she'd swapped herself.

Eggman seemed unphased by his sudden presence. "It's about time you found me, Sonic. I had to leave my factory to get Foxboy to go look for me. Now I can finally access the files I want to, remotely…"

"Puh, lame excuse! You just found the other pink sapphire and tried to take it from Amy. I bet you knew about there being two gems all along, didn't you? Nice of you to finally tell us. So much for working together."

"You're not as dumb as you seem, Sonic. The other Dr. Eggman and I have been communicating as we switch places. And now, we're finally ready to reveal our plan to you." He cackled evily for a few seconds, his face up to the sky.

"You done?" Sonic tapped his foot with impatience.

"Yes, sorry. Ahem. So, take me back to your pathetic little team and I'll tell you what we've decided."

"What, you don't want to tell just me? I'm sure I can handle it and stop you myself."

"Oh no. You see, I need your little girlfriend to complete this plan."

"That Amy is _not_ my girlfriend. But you better not lay a hand on either of them." Sonic clenched his fists.

"Heh, so very touching that you care so much for both of them. Are you double dipping?"

"What? No! Of course not! Let's just go back. I can't wait to stop working with _you_."

Sonic and Eggman headed back to base, Sonic scowling at Eggman's constant bragging that he'd finally won, just wait and they'd see how brilliant he was. He'd finally had enough and sped up to leave the doctor in his dust. When he'd finally made it back, AltSonic eagerly stepped into the room alone. He could hear the other Sonic and Amy arguing from a bit a way.

"Ames, uh, I'm sorry… it was meant to be a joke, I didn't think it'd actually work, sorry to embarrass you…"

"Sonic, it's not a big deal, I'm not mad at you or anything."

"I know but I kinda feel bad. Let's just stop talking about it, okay?"

"No, this is important! Just because I can do different things now doesn't mean anything… "

"Sonic! You're back!" AltAmy finally noticed he'd arrived and ran to hug him, breaking up the Originals' argument.

He embraced her back. "Well guys, sorry to be a disappointment… but I didn't find Tails. I found someone much worse."

"Eggman!" AltAmy said, holding onto Sonic more closely.

"Hello my furry friends!" his voice boomed as he arrived.

"Just spit it out, Eggface," AltSonic spat with an eye roll. "Tell us what your _grand plan_ is."

"I have a proposal for you, Sonic."

"No way, I"m the one who's going to marry him!" OrAmy interrupted.

Dr. Eggman narrowed his eyes at her. "Shut your trap brat. This is more of a command than anything. And you're the one who's going to do it."

OrSonic put his arm in front of OrAmy. "Don't you _dare_ talk to her like that!"

"Thanks Sonic, but," OrAmy gently lowered his arm, but went to hold his hand. "I can handle myself."

Eggman ignored them. "I know what those gemstones can do. You're going to use them on me, and let me travel to another world, a world where I've already won."

"What? No way!" OrAmy shook her head violently.

"You've gotta be kidding," Tails said.

"That's not gonna happen," AltAmy agreed.

"Think of it like this… it's a win win for both of us, see? I get to go and be the rightful ruler of this planet, in world where you don't exist, and you get to live here without me. I'm tired of fighting you, Sonic. So why not just skip to the part where I finally win, and have gotten rid of you? You see how brilliant this is? And I was even nice enough to consider what you might want as well!"

They all remained silent as they pondered what Eggman was saying.

"You know, I gotta hand it to ya… that's not a bad idea." AltSonic finally said.

"I agree. Never thought I'd see the day… but let's get rid of Eggman," OrSonic said.

"Are you crazy? I'm not doing this." OrAmy shook her head.

"Sonic, let's think this through," OrTails said with caution. "Amy's right, this is crazy. Don't forget… Eggman's got to trade places with someone. And so we'll get a version of Eggman that… knows how to beat you."

"That's a fair point. Still. It's not a bad idea. Plus we'll have him right where we want him and can deal with him easily. Don't you guys wanna get rid of Eggman?" AltSonic said.

"You won't be… bored without him?" AltAmy asked.

"Nah. Especially not now that I have you around." AltSonic smiled at her.

"Wait a minute, which Eggman are you?" OrSonic asked. "The one from my world, or his?"

"Does it matter, Sonic?"

"Yes, it matters," OrTails interjected. "We still have this energy crisis thing, and we can't be dealing with you and it."

"Well, that's in your world," AltSonic said. "You can deal with the energy crisis, and we can deal with this other Eggman. I'd be happy to get rid of him."

"But Sonic," AltAmy said, "I can't… use the gems like that. Only she can."

OrAmy crossed her arms. "I'm not doing this. I don't know enough about the Sapphires to know what'll happen. They're my responsibility."

"Amy, c'mon…" OrSonic said. "It's a solid idea. I want us to live in a world where we don't have to worry about him anymore. We can be happy together without Eggman threatening everyone we care about… and I care about you."

"Aww, thanks Sonic, but it's like Tails said," OrAmy said. "We won't be getting rid of Eggman, just replacing him with another version that's already won against you, knows how, and can do it again! That's too big of a risk. I don't want anything to happen to you…"

Tails spoke, turning to Eggman. "What if… we locked you up first, and then after we swap you, we call G.U.N. to put the other you in prison where you belong? That way we could deal with the horrible version that knows the secret of beating Sonic."

"I'm not agreeing to be locked up." Eggman shook his head.

"Then we're not agreeing to swap you." OrAmy crossed her arms.

"This is not a negotiation. Ugh, you pathetic rodents. I hoped you would listen to reason, but looks like I have to result to my usual means. Don't call me the bad guy…"

Eggman pulled up a monitor to show them his collateral. Cream and Vanilla were being held captive at their house, at gunpoint thanks to some Eggman robots. Both of them looked at the screen with terrified expressions. Everyone in the room gasped and took defensive positions.

"Eggman! You're a terrible person, you know that?" AltSonic barked at him.

"This is _your_ fault. I wasn't planning on even letting you know I had them captive, but you forced my hand. Now, girly. Use those gems on me or your little rabbit friends will die."

"Sonic, can you go save them in time?" AltAmy looked at AltSonic with huge eyes.

"I don't know if it's worth the risk…." He looked through the monitor at the other Amy. "You have to do this."

OrAmy was sweating, there was no way she was going to let her friends get hurt, even if they were another version of the Cream and Vanilla she knew. She gripped the sapphires in her hands, her stomach turning in knots. "How can I do this through the monitor?"

OrTails looked at her. "Swap us all. Me, Sonic, and you. Then we'll all be in our correct world, we'll have the other Tails back, and since I'll go to wherever he is, I'll find my way back here."

"Clock's ticking for your rabbit friends…" Eggman taunted.

"Do it, Ames," OrSonic said, visibily impatient.

"Everyone just be quiet!" OrAmy yelled. "I can send everyone where they need to go, at once, I just need everyone to think of where that is. Okay? Everyone ready?"

Eggman sneered. "You're making the right decision."

"Can you not just send him, I don't know, to a field full of rotten eggs?" AltSonic suggested.

"I can only send him where he wants to be…" OrAmy sighed as she clicked the sapphires together. She couldn't believe she was doing this. Her gut was telling her this was a huge mistake... "Well, here we go…"


	13. Parting Ways

_Lynkia, kimchi-tan, Byrd3-13:_

 _Thanks! :) I'm so happy that you guys are reading and enjoying my story! I'm hoping with the new IDW comics and such, we'll see a resurgence of SonAmy fan stuff. We could all use more of that! v3_

* * *

 **Chapter 13 - Parting Ways**

* * *

 _"Sonic, this is no time for you to to be all macho and reckless!" Amy said, reaching to touch his tense shoulder._

 _"Me, reckless? C'mon… it's not reckless if I always win. " He grinned as if nothing were bothering him, but Amy knew better._

* * *

 **Both Dimensions**

The bright light and ringing in their ears finally faded, and all the dimensional travelers blinked to try to gain their bearings.

"Sonic?" AltAmy asked immediately, then turned to her boyfriend to hug him, happy they were still together.

OrAmy dusted herself off as she looked through the monitor, relieved to see Eggman was in the Alternate world now. She'd managed to pull it off, she thought with a proud smile, but something else occupied her immediate thoughts.

"It looks like everyone is where they need to be - I'm going to go see if Cream and Vanilla are okay," OrAmy said and immediately headed out the door. When she went outside, she almost ran directly into OrSonic, and she skidded to a halt.

"What?" Sonic asked, confused why she stopped.

"You don't have to come with me. I'll be fine."

"Buh - don't you want me to come?" He looked at her with those heart-melting green eyes and handsome smile, and Amy almost gave into him.

She took his hands and squeezed them. "You know I do, Sonic, but, I can do this myself. I'm trying to be more independent. So you don't have to worry about me."

"Alright Ames…" Sonic let go of her hands. "If you're sure."

"Of course." She beamed at him. "I'll be back in a bit - make sure our friends are okay over there. I was able to send Eggman away, I think anyway."

"You got it." He gave her a thumbs up.

"Okay. Be back soon." Amy turned to run away, smiling at Sonic as she headed to check on her friends.

Sonic cupped his hands around his mouth to yell after her. "You better - or I'll check on you."

"Bye Sonic!" Amy lifted one hand to wave and then disappeared into the horizon, leaving Sonic was the same lovesick feeling Amy herself felt everytime Sonic left her in such a fashion.

He took a deep sigh and then went back inside, his heart aching. Sonic was surprised at how much it physically hurt him to watch her go on without him. Maybe she was the same Amy he'd known for years, but she felt so much different now. Before she'd just been Amy, his biggest fan and one of his closest friends. And now…? She was gorgeous, strong, capable, sweet, and - she had new abilities. Abilities he wasn't sure he was down with. Abilities that legitimately frightened him. And then there was that incident earlier - he cringed, that had been actually embarrassing. Sonic definitely didn't want Amy to know everything he was thinking about and what he wanted.

He took another deep breath, hoping he hadn't gotten more than he bargained for by asking Amy out, and went back to see his friends.

OrSonic was greeted, through the interdimensional communicator, with an apparent standoff between his other version and yet another version of Eggman. He watched the encounter through the monitor with baited breath, wishing he could jump through the screen to do something if he could.

"Well, well, well… what do we have here?" Dr. Eggman asked, smirking at AltSonic, AltAmy, and AltTails, who had all made the trip back home.

"We got you now, Eggman," Sonic grinned, his fists clenched.

"Uh… I guess we all got swapped while I was gone," Tails blinked, still disoriented. "I didn't realize I'd been gone that long, but - " he glanced at the monitor and OrSonic. "I found the way to fix what's going on in your world - your Tails should be able to help you."

OrSonic nodded at him. "Got it."

"All this chatter, it's so…. Cute." Dr. Eggman spoke again, but his voice was eerie, calm, collected, not normally childish like the Eggman they knew.

"You may be lost, but we got you now. And you're going to jail where you belong!" Amy said.

"Yeah, what she said," AltSonic agreed.

The doctor moved slowly, methodically, almost robotic. "Sonic. It's been a while since I've seen you. I see you must have pulled me into another world. Amusing."

"Yeah, and you're here without any of your Badniks. Looks like you've already lost!" Sonic said smugly, his arms crossed across his chest.

Eggman leaned forward, his hands steepled with his fingertips touching. "Do you want to know why I haven't seen your kind in a while? Because where I just came from, Sonic the Hedgehog doesn't exist."

"Well obviously - " Sonic rolled his eyes. "That's the only way you could actually win-"

"Do you want to know _why_?"

" _Why_?" Sonic sighed heavily, already impatient.

"Because I killed him."

The air was suddenly sucked out of the room, and everyone froze from the chilling confession. But they didn't have much time to process it as Eggman launched himself at Sonic. The hedgehog immediately dodged him despite his instant shock. His green eyes flew open as he saw the metal prosthetics appeared to replace Eggman's arms and legs.

"Tails, what the hell?" He exclaimed, still shocked to move.

"He….roboticized _himself!_?" Tails spat with disbelief.

"You gotta be kidding me - !" Amy yelled, pulling out her hammer.

Eggman cackled. "Thanks for bringing me here, Sonic. Now I'll get the chance to kill you yet again."

The evil doctor's left hand suddenly turned into a machine gun, spraying bullets every which way. Sonic leaped into action, pulling Tails and Amy to safety. Everything in the workshop was instantly destroyed, including the communicator. Sonic cringed when he saw the feed down, the monitor smashed by the bullet impacts. They'd lost contact with their friends.

Once he'd gotten Amy and Tails safe, Sonic raced out the door, trying to get this dangerous new foe away from his friends until they could figure out the best way to handle this. His mind racing, Sonic turned to watch a fully upgraded Dr. Eggman hot on his heels. No, this wasn't actually happening. Sonic hadn't dreamed of facing Eggman himself like this, but it looked like he'd fully upgraded himself with super speed, and arms with a multitude of weapons.

"Strange, Egghead, you usually don't do your own dirty work," the hedgehog quipped as he dodged aggressive blows from the doctor.

"I learned that machines are strong, but fallible. They were what was holding me back for so long. So I decided to put that strength inside of me, unstoppable power with a brilliant mind. And I killed you with my own two hands." He raised his two arms and grinned smugly at the metal contraptions.

Sonic grabbed his chin. "Uh, I could be wrong, but those _aren't_ your own hands"

That was enough banter for Eggman, and he took several more shots at Sonic, but he dodged each one of them. His reflexes were being put to the test, but Sonic had some experience fighting other speedsters. Just like Metal Sonic, he told himself. Or Shadow. But neither one of those had a vendetta against him or a murderous streak quite as deadly as Eggman himself. Still, there was no way Sonic was losing to Eggman. Never had happened, never would happen. That was a fact.

* * *

 **Original Dimension**

Static. A blank screen, with no sound, no picture, nothing to even clue OrSonic into what happened. Had they made it out? Had Eggman won? He ran up to the monitor, but quickly realized there was nothing he could do. The communicator was broke on the other end, and he certainly couldn't fix it. Sonic glanced around the room, instinctively looking for Tails, but then felt his heart sink as he realized the truth.

He was alone.

Tails was still lost, and Amy had run off to tend to her friends, and his other friends were stuck in a world with a powerful, roboticized Eggman that had killed him once before.

And he could do nothing.

" _No, I gotta be able to do something. I can't just let them fight Eggface alone. I'm not gonna let myself be helpless."_

Amy didn't want to be bothered, so he'd see if he could track down Tails. He'd know what to do…

* * *

 **Alternate Dimension**

"Amy, this is the lamest idea I've ever heard… why are you so sure this will work? Shouldn't we just let Sonic do his thing?" Tails whined, unsure of why he was carrying this useless object in his hands. He could fly much faster if he didn't have to carry this...

"No, are you crazy?" Amy scowled at Tails as she ran underneath him. "We can't let him fight Eggman alone. Do you really want to stay in hiding like he said?"

"No, I mean, I know, but… I still don't understand how - "

"Just trust me, okay? It'll all make sense in a moment." Amy set her expression as she kept running forward. She didn't have time to explain to Tails all they'd gone through in the past few hours, he'd just have to learn quick.

The two came upon the fighters, but all they could really see were blurs of blue and red, bouncing every which way.

"Wait, Eggman!" Amy's voice suddenly exploded across the field.

Both of them stopped, and Amy looked at Sonic, relieved but not surprised to see him in one piece.

"Amy, I told you to stay there!" Sonic's expression turned worried as he looked at his girl. He didn't want this crazy cyborg anywhere near the people he cared about.

"What do you want, child?" Dr. Eggman asked coldly.

Amy held up the Pink Sapphires, one in each hand. "You know what these are?"

The doctor stood up straight, his body language suddenly stiff and less confident. "The Wish Stones."

"Yeah." Amy turned to the side, and then a bright pink light enveloped her body, as if she were glowing. "And you know what I can do with them. Leave Sonic alone. Now."

For a moment Amy and Eggman just stared each other down, neither of them budging.

Sonic cleared his throat, uncomfortable with the silence, and the agonizing _wait_. He wasn't sure how his Amy was able to glow like that, as she looked nothing like Super Amy, but Eggman couldn't seem to tell the difference. Either way, Sonic wasn't about to stand around and, again, _wait_ , for his love to get attacked.

"Well, Egghead? Looks like you lose after all." Sonic smirked.

The doctor holstered his arms, and they turned back to normal, but creepy flesh color. "Hmph. Fine. It seems here you hide behind your girlfriend, so pathetic. I'll deal with you once I have my army built up again. I hope you put up a better fight when the hour comes."

Sonic let out a breath as Eggman left them alone, and then instantly ran up to hug Amy. The light disappeared around her as his arms held her close. She hugged him in return, and then Sonic held her at arm's length and studied her eyes.

"Are you okay?" Amy asked, running her hands down his arms and back, checking for injuries.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Sonic raised his hands to cup the sides of her face. "What was that? Did you get your Super form?"

"No…" Amy looked off to the side, and then Sonic noticed Tails flying in, holding a pink tinted spotlight lamp.

"I can't believe that worked, Amy," Tails shook his head. "You wanna fill me in on what happened? And what you _can_ do with those? And why there are suddenly _two_ of them?

Amy sighed and told Tails the story.

"I'm glad you're okay, but… I wish you wouldn't have done that. I had him, Ames," Sonic suddenly pulled away from her, his back turned and his arms crossed.

Amy visibly deflated from his rejection, but then perked up. "No, you didn't! I had to do something to help, and Tails agreed. Didn't you hear what he said? He - " she stopped herself, unable to say the words.

Sonic spun around, still wearing a scowl. "How do we know he was tellin' the truth? I don't trust 'im."

"Even if he didn't kill you, we know for a fact he's defeated you before, because that's what the other Eggman wished for" Tails pointed out. "Why take that risk?"

The hedgehog shrugged. "So what? That was another me. I can take him."

"Sonic, this is no time for you to to be all macho and reckless!" Amy said, reaching to touch his tense shoulder.

"Me, reckless? C'mon… it's not reckless if I always win. " He grinned as if nothing were bothering him, but Amy knew better.

"Your confidence doesn't work here when we _know_ this Eggman could kill you." Amy met his eyes with a tender gaze. "I just don't want to lose you. Especially not to you doing something dumb."

"Amy's right. We can't fight this Eggman. If what you say is true, Amy, then we'll have to use the Pink Sapphires and send him back to where he came from," Tails said.

"But we can't do that – I don't even know how to use these." Amy looked down at the cursed gemstones in her hands. The cause of all of their problems, it seemed. Why, if they hadn't stolen her Sonic away from her in the first place, none of this would have happened. She wouldn't even know she was capable of being anything more than what she was - and wouldn't feel suddenly like a failure. She looked up to Sonic, her heart warming slightly at his tender expression.

"You can," he encouraged, grinning at her. "I know you can, Ames. We believe in you."

Amy shook her head. "Even if I can figure out how to use them, this new version of Eggman won't want to go back, so these sapphires are useless. They can only send someone where they want to go. If I use them on him who knows what will happen - it seems like all he really wants is to kill you. And I'm not letting that happen."

"This is hurting my brain…" Tails said and started rubbing his forehead – he suddenly did a double take and squinted at Amy. "What is that on your neck?"

"None of your business!" Amy shouted, shouldering her hammer to hide the purple hickey. It was still a bit tender, but it reminded her of Sonic's earlier affection, so she didn't mind at all.

Tails hid his smile but had to look at Sonic out of the corner of his eye, who looked mortified, but was obviously trying to hide it.

"How long until you can get the comm back up?" Sonic quickly changed the conversation, gesturing towards the broken bits of the communicator.

Tails shook his head. "Should that really be our first priority? We're all back in our correct dimension now – before all this happened, I found what Eggman had been working on, and I think the other world will be okay. We need to focus on our world now."

"Yeah but we may need the other Amy's help." Sonic reasoned.

Amy huffed. "Am I not good enough for you, Sonic?"

"No, no, no, of course you are, but she's the one who got us into this mess, and we may need her to help you out."

"You just said you thought I could control the sapphires! And now you're not sure?"

"Eh…. well, what I really think we should do is just let me have another shot at Eggman, but - "

"No, that's not happening. Not on my watch." Amy clutched the gemstones in her hand, and set her face in a serious expression. "I know what I'm going to do. I'll get get the other Eggman, our Eggman, and I'll convince him to come back."

"How?" Tails asked.

"I don't need a Super Form to use the Sapphires on myself. I can go to where we sent Eggman. It's the only way."

"I'm coming with you," Sonic said.

"No. I… have to do this myself," Amy said.

"What? You're crazy if you think I'm letting you go to another world by yourself!"

"Sonic… you actually _can't_. There's no you over there, because… you're dead in that world. So there's no one to swap you with."

Sonic shook his head. "No. You're not going alone."

"I can do this. I'm not letting you fight that monster." Amy gripped the gems, feeling them start to pulsate on top of her gloves.

"Wait!" Sonic pulled out his Chaos Emeralds. "I can go with these, using Chaos Control."

Amy touched his arm. "Stay here."

"Okay, what's the deal? Do you not _want_ me to come?"

"You said…" she sighed. "You said you needed space. So I'm going to give it to you."

"No, Ames, not like this! How do you not understand - I can't let you go." He grabbed her hands, trying to force those cursed gems out of them.

The sapphires glow got more and more intense, turning from pink to bright white.

"I love you, Sonic…" Amy whispered, tears welling up in her eyes as she stared into her love's.

"No!"

The booming sound sent him flying back, but Sonic wasn't gonna let this happen. There had to be a way to follow her. Pulling out his Emeralds, Sonic fought against light and sound waves with his powerful legs, reaching out blindly towards where Amy had been just a moment ago. The seven Emeralds swirled around him, and he managed to locate the source of the energy pushing him back. Two pink sapphires, orbiting Amy's body. He reached out to touch her, trying to pull her back, but his hand went right through her figure. She was already gone.

"No. No!"

One hand reached out to touch the Sapphires in the middle of their orbit, catching them in his grasp. The other hand touched the nearest Chaos Emerald in his possession, and he felt two strong, but very different sources of energy flow through his body.

"Chaos Control!"

He was gone.

"NO, Sonic, wait!" Tails screamed, the noise only drowned out by the crashing of seven all-powerful Chaos Emeralds to the ground, leaving nothing but empty space in their wake.

He took several deep breaths as he looked around him in horror. Sonic was gone. Completely. He hadn't been replaced by anyone. He'd just vanished using the power of the Emeralds and Sapphires.

"No… no, no, no… He has no way to get back now… No…" Tails knelt on the floor, picking up each Emerald one by one, hoping there was something he was overlooking or overthinking.

They were both gone. Amy had no way back either, unless somehow they managed to find the Pink Sapphires in whatever hellish world they'd just gone to. _And_ then once they found them, Amy would still have to somehow activate her Super Form. He still didn't even understand what that was.

"Tails…?"

The fox jumped a few feet in the air, his tails activating by instinct. His heart beat rapidly as he suddenly realized he wasn't alone.

"You're… alive…" a soft, feminine voice reached his ears.

He let out a breath as he looked down at the girl below him. Yet another version of Amy Rose, gaping at him like a fish. Tails had had more than enough of the girl today…and in his worry about Sonic, he'd totally forgotten that Amy herself was been swapped. Great.

"Yeah. Welcome to another dimension." He smiled wryly as he let himself drift to the ground, standing on his own two feet again.

"Is Sonic alive, too?" She asked, her eyes huge.

Tails sighed. It had already been a long day. "Yes, but, he's not here right now."

"Wait, Sonic's not dead… so where is he?"

"He's in your world. He went to rescue Amy."

Amy's head moved backwards in surprise. "Rescue me? But I'm here."

"No, no," Tails raised his hands."Let me start from the beginning. Although I think I'm a bit hazy on the details, too..."

Third Amy stood perfectly still, obviously shaken by all this news. "So there's another me, and another Sonic, and we're both okay. In this world, Tails, how does he feel about me?"

Tails smiled a bit as he went back to gathering up the Chaos Emeralds. He'd have to keep these safe without Sonic around, and at least Amy would be able to help him with that. "Asking the important questions." His blue eyes met Amy's hopeful green ones. "He loves you, Amy."

One lone tear dripped from her left eye, and her bottom lip trembled from emotion. "I knew it… that's what he wanted to tell me… before he died..." she drifted off, obviously trapped in her head's worst nightmare.

Tails wasn't prepared for this. He tucked the powerful Emeralds into his pouch. "Please tell me you have two pink, teardrop shaped gems."

Amy opened her palms, and let the sapphires catch the one tear she let herself cry.

"Good. Well, follow me. We definitely won't be safe out here." Tails instructed, and was soon followed by a sullen, but thankfully silent Amy Rose.

* * *

 **Original Dimension**

"Sonic, I'm so glad you're here."

OrTails didn't even look up upon hearing the gust of wind behind him. He knew that sound as well as anyone.

"Tails, there's a problem," Sonic began, "- the other Eggman is roboticized himself, and attacked our friends in the other world - and I can't do anything about it because Amy ran off, and the communicator is broke."

The fox finally turned around. " _Oh_. That's… not good. This is my fault, isn't it? I was the one who suggested we swap the Eggmans…" Guilt creased his forehead.

"Is there anything we can do for them?"

Tails shook his head, and Sonic looked away, hating to feel so helpless.

"There's gotta be somethin'... There's gotta be."

Tails turned back to the computer. "Well, you want some good news?"

"Please."

"I may know how to fix the problem in our world. It looks like my other version dug up some research on what Eggman was working on. And now that we know about there being two sapphires, and he doesn't, we can track down where he sent those objects to, and bring them back here."

"Will that solve the science thing?"

"Yes. As long as we don't use the Pink Sapphires on any more stationary objects, it'll work. We'll just need to use the Chaos Emeralds - which you have, right?"

"'Course."

"Good. I know you don't want to hear all this but I'm gonna say it anyway. Usually when you have energy loss in a system, the energy is not really lost, just converted to a different type, usually a more chaotic type, according to the law of the conservation of energy."

Sonic's eyes were already glazing over, but Tails had to explain this outloud, if only to get it straight in his own head.

"In our case, whenever we use interdimensional travel and remove things, and therefore energy, from the system, the Chaos Emeralds would cover that 'energy loss' by just creating more energy to replace whatever it transported. The Sapphires don't work the same way, they're not actually a power source – they are created off of hopes and dreams or whatever, and they can only fulfill those wishes in a very particular way, by swapping people – so therefore there's no energy loss at all, just a direct transfer, but, and this is important, only when used on people. When used on objects, it's a misuse of that power, because objects don't have wishes, and therefore don't create any replacement energy, so, the energy is just removed from the system and transported to a void dimension."

Sonic made fake sleeping noises.

"Long story short, we can't use the Sapphires on inanimate objects anymore – we have to use the Chaos Emeralds to cover that loss of energy. You use Chaos Control and send those objects back."

"Science science math math, use the Chaos Emeralds, got it. So once you figure out where the objects are, we can send them back, got it. What can I do in the meantime to help?"

"I need to get a list of all objects that were sent so we can be sure we get them all – Eggman left some records I think, but there's some other stuff that's been disappearing and I'm not sure how to keep track of it."

"Alright, you do that, I'm gonna find Ames."

Tails glanced as his big brother sideways. "Sonic, does she really need your help?"

"I-I mean, no, but, ya know…" he kicked his foot into the ground.

Tails faked ignorance. "I don't know."

"I kinda, ya know, wanna see her I guess?" Sonic's eyes didn't leave the ground, obviously embarrassed at his feelings per usual.

Tails sighed. "You turn into a different person around her. Absolutely lovestruck."

"What? No I _don't_."

"You're becoming just like her. Anyway – heheh, she has some cool new powers, huh? Were you really thinking of her like that?" Tails punched his shoulder.

Sonic threw a punch back, but it was half-hearted.

"Heh heh she was so mad at you, you should have seen her."

"Drop it, will ya?"

Tails tilted his head, sensing this wasn't just brotherly banter. "What? Am I not allowed to tease you? It's just… new seeing you like this. For the longest time you've avoided talking about Amy, and now, all of a sudden, she's all you really care about."

Sonic clapped his shoulder and made genuine eye contact. "Tails… you will _always_ be my little bro. Okay? Nothin's gonna change that."

Tails beamed back at him, and turned the pat into a full-blown hug. Initially surprised, Sonic embraced him back, suddenly feeling lucky he had someone who cared about him this much.

"Thanks, Sonic, but I'm not worried about _me_." Tails broke the hug. "Maybe you _should_ go see her. I don't think she'd mind."

"Thanks little bro."

And just like that, he was gone. As usual. But Tails didn't mind so much, as it was just Sonic being Sonic. Now, he had to do the Tails thing and help save the world, his own way.


	14. Underground

_Lynkia, kimchi-tan, Amefloza13, Byrd3-13, SpeedsMyGame, starfiction123:_

 _Hello one and all, welcome back~! I know it's been forever, I've gotten sidetracked with other projects in the interim. But re-reading over this one, I realized it's a great story and deserves a proper ending. So I put my time and energy into crafting a good one. Hope you guys enjoy it~!_

* * *

Chapter 14 : Underground

* * *

 _I wondered who I'd be without Sonic, and the answer is - me. Strong, smart, capable, and a hero."_

* * *

 **Third Dimension, AltSonic**

Breathless. Cold. Darkness.

As the blinding light of the swap faded, Sonic blinked his eyes in rapid succession, trying to acclimate himself to the new world he found himself in. Even after a few seconds, he still sat in complete darkness, no light source nearby, and couldn't make out an inch on front of him.

Also - oxygen. He couldn't breathe, he was choking, Sonic desperately tried to inhale but found nothing able to enter his lungs. The space around him was empty, unbreathable. His lungs were suddenly burning, begging for air. He pushed himself into a ball and twirled in a circle, but wasn't sure which way to go. He felt resistance around him, and his nose was picking up a strong earthy scent.

Earth, dirt, dark, moisture - he was… underground?

Panic. Die, he was going to die if he didn't get air soon. His mind was growing more fuzzy by the moment. Spin, spin, spin to win, to get out. Which way was up? For all he knew his spindashes were just burying him deeper and deeper into the earth. But he had to focus and move quick. How to know which way to go? No light, no clues at all. What would Tails do? Something jogged his brain; Sonic uncurled from his ball for a second, took a fistful of dirt, and then let it fall from his hand. Gravity. He hurled himself the opposite direction, drilling through the earth at a speed and power that rivaled a Yellow Wisp.

Sonic burst through the surface, immediately taking in lungfuls of air at a time, gasping and panting in relief. He landed on the ground, face down, but cautiously took in his surroundings. His stomach immediately turned as he recognized where he was.

A graveyard.

The hedgehog lifted himself to his feet, his green eyes wide as he stared at the stone in front of him.

 _Sonic the Hedgehog_

 _Friend, Brother, Hero_

 _Went down with a fight, protecting those he loved_

 _Now running laps around heaven_

Surreal, absolutely insane. Sonic in this world really was dead, and RoboEggman hadn't been exaggerating. Sonic never thought he'd seen his own tombstone, but there it sat in front of him, jutting out of the earth he'd just fought his way out of. It was making sense now, that's why he'd spawned underground in this world. He'd been buried.

He hadn't thought much about death in his something-teen years alive. Always assumed he could outrun it, dodge it, avoid it. But it would come someday. He, too, would be buried in the earth, and wouldn't wake up to fight his way out. A chill washed over his body and he shuddered. Didn't want to think about it.

But looking away from his own tombstone only made him see the one next to it.

 _Miles "Tails" Prower_

 _Friend, Brother, Hero_

 _Always had a brilliant plan_

 _Now building his dreams in heaven_

Somehow this one hurt even worse. Tears began pricking at his eyes, but he violently wiped at them before they could form droplets.

"Little bro…"

Not his world, Sonic had to remind himself. Tails was still alive, and waiting for him back home. He'd heard the fox scream his name and beg him not to come here, but Sonic had to. And he'd just been reminded why. Amy was here, and Sonic had to find her. Maybe their less-dangerous Eggman had come here too, but he probably had a near infinite amount of resources and power, and Sonic couldn't let Amy try to fight him alone. Knowing her, she'd definitely try. He'd just have to get to her first.

With his speed, that shouldn't be a problem. Then again he had no idea where _he_ was, let alone where Amy was. He'd just have to keep searching until he found her.

* * *

 **Original Dimension, OrAmy**

The cottage sat in a peaceful quiet neighborhood, bordered by gardens and picket fences. But today, the normally manicured lawn had been overrun by badniks, windows were scarred with broken glass, and any animal friends had skipped their visit for the day. Amy gasped as she surveyed the scene, but didn't waste any time in rushing inside.

"Cream, Vanilla?" She called out. She had her hammer at the ready for any robot stragglers, but the house was eerily quiet, save for the floorboards creaking under her boots. It was also a wreck in here, certainly not up to the ultra-tidy standards the rabbits always kept it to. There'd been a struggle; but what had happened after she'd swapped everyone?

"Amy?"

Little Cream's voice! Amy made a beeline towards the sound, walking through the hallway into one of the back bedrooms. The rabbits sat huddled together on Vanilla's bed.

"Are you alright?" Amy asked, quickly rushing to their side. "Did they hurt you?"

"Thank you Amy, we're fine," Vanilla assured her.

"Somehow," Cream added. "The mean robots just disappeared a moment ago."

"Disappeared? How, what do you mean?" Amy asked, glancing around.

"They were here one moment, and then vanished the next," Vanilla said. "We didn't know what to think, so we've been staying safe here."

"That's weird," Amy said. "They didn't return to Eggman, they just - oh, wait!"

But before she could get another word out, a desk in the corner of the room vanished, forcing all the objects that had been sitting on it to crash to the ground. All three girls screamed, then stared at the empty space, flabbergasted.

"Momma, what's happening?" Cream asked, holding her mother close.

"Chao, chao," Cheese agreed, joining in on the hug.

Amy frowned and shook her head. "Tails said that something was sucking the energy out of this world, thanks to one of Dr. Eggman's latest schemes. He said objects are disappearing all over and he's trying to figure out how to stop it. I didn't realize it was this bad… it must be why those robots disappeared too."

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Vanilla offered.

"Tails will figure it out," Cream said with a small smile.

A crash from the cottage entrance made all three of them jump once again. Amy brandished her hammer and brought one finger to her lips, urging them to be quiet. She tiptoed towards the hallway and peered down it. Nothing, just a sudden gust of wind.

"Ames?"

"Sonic!" She dropped her hammer with relief and hugged her boyfriend tightly. "Oh my gosh, you scared me!"

"Everything okay?" Sonic asked, hugging his girlfriend back softly.

"Cream and Vanilla are here, but the robots who were holding them captive aren't. They said they just disappeared. And we saw some furniture in their room disappear, too!"

Sonic crossed his arms. "Just straight up vanish, huh? Guess Tails was right. He better pick up the pace on that gadget he's working on." He poked his head in the bedroom and nodded at the rabbits. "Glad you two are okay. Just stay here until we can figure this out, 'kay?"

"Yes Mr. Sonic," Cream said.

Sonic and Amy took hands and walked towards the living room before sitting on the couch together. Sonic wrapped his arms around his girl, happy to have her back in his arms again. She'd only been gone a few minutes, he knew, but that had felt like an eternity to him.

"What's wrong, Sonic?" Amy asked, looking up at him with worried green eyes.

Ah. He'd forgotten she could pretty much read his mind now with those new powers of hers. Something he still wasn't happy about. He played with her quills and gently stroked her ears, trying to calm her as well as himself down.

"The other us, in the other world - they're in trouble. The Eggman that got swapped into their world is just pure evil, and he wiped out the communicator. We have no contact and I can't do anything to help them."

"Oh no…"

"So now we have no idea if they're even okay or not. And we have to worry about saving _this_ world first. You know me, I'd rush over there and help them if I could, but I can't. I hate feeling helpless. It sucks."

Amy looked at him with concern. She'd never seen this side of Sonic before, his softer and emotional side. Usually he kept his heart of gold locked up and covered with his cocky persona, but now he was being vulnerable with her. She pulled out the pink sapphires, letting their power flow through her heart as she searched his eyes. She just wanted to get to know him better -

Sonic launched himself out of her arms, his back suddenly to her.

"Amy, don't use those on me. It's not fair."

Hurt, the girl put away the gemstones, already missing Sonic's arms around her. "What do you mean it's not fair?"

He just shook his head, his quills bouncing every which way. "This emotion stuff is bad enough when I can hide it from you, but when you can read my mind, I just feel so exposed. Like I'm naked."

Amy blushed, but chided herself for her thoughts. "I mean you already are - "

"That's not the point," he growled with impatience. "I dunno how to talk about stuff like this, and the moment I do, or at least try, you pull those out and make it so much worse."

She stood up and approached him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Sonic, but… if you don't know what to say, me using these means you don't have to talk, because I already know what you're feeling."

He shrugged off her hand and zipped to the other side of the room. "That is _not_ reassuring."

"What are you trying to hide from me? I thought we were getting closer, I thought you weren't going to run from me anymore…"

Sonic let out an exasperated sigh and finally turned around. "Ames, you don't get it. I do like you. A lot. And I don't want to run from you. I just don't want you to use those on me and make me feel so violated. And for the record, I liked you before this whole sapphire thing happened. Can't say I'm the biggest fan of this new development."

Amy scowled at him. "That's not fair! You think I like everything about _your_ abilities, Sonic? The fact that I know I'll never catch you, that you could run away at any moment, that you like to travel and don't want to settle down? That you could leave me in the dust and disappear and I'd never know where to find you? You know, everything I love about you is something that has broken my heart in one way or another over the years. But I'm not asking you to stop going fast for my sake, just to take me with you. Can't you see that my new abilities are a good thing for us? They'll just bring us closer, while what you can do just pushes us further away."

It was a fair point, but Sonic wasn't ready to concede. "On the other hand, everything I've come to know and love about you is what keeps us together, Ames. But this… just feels wrong to me."

Amy closed the gap between and wrapped her arms around Sonic's neck and gently kissed his nose. "This is a part of me now. For the longest time, my life was just about you, chasing you, obsessing over all of it... But meeting our other versions helped me realize I wasn't healthy or balanced. Now that I can see everyone's desires and wants it's made me reflect on my own. I still want to be with you, but this has made me a better have your world and your life and your hobbies without me, but I don't. Or at least I didn't, and now I do. And that'll be a good thing for both of us."

Sonic looked at the ground, but brought his hands to Amy's waist to hold her. "But did it have to be _this_? You reading people's minds and telling them what to want?"

Amy shook her head. "Don't think of it like that, it's not that at all. I don't tell people to change, I just help them discover the truth about themselves."

"Still can't say I'm too fond of it."

"Sonic, I… I can't be everything you want. I used to be that obsessive girl who did anything to get your attention… and you hated it. Don't you want me to be my own hedgehog? Don't you want a girl that's independent?"

He took a moment to think. It was true he was most romantically attracted to her when she'd been going after that other sapphire, telling him where to go, knowing just what she wanted. He loved that about her, she was so strong and pretty and determined and stubborn. Independence was certainly something he valued and wanted to encourage. He leaned forward to steal her lips for a quick kiss and smirked.

"You certainly have wisened up overnight."

"Well, I've had a lot to think about," Amy admitted. Her lips were still tingling from the kiss. "Talking to the other me, I just don't want to end up like they did. I don't want us to suffocate each other, and compromise is important. I want us to be happy and you to still be you, but… I have to be myself as well."

"Well…." Sonic drawled out, kicking his foot against the ground. "As long as you don't use your mind reading stuff on me, guess I'm cool with it."

Amy pouted playfully. "It's not mind reading. And for the record, you have a long history of using your powers on _me_ , mister."

"Whoa, what?" Sonic pulled back from their embrace and frowned as if offended. "No I - okay, maybe I have a few times. And maybe those few times hurt you. But I agreed to stop _because_ it was hurting you. Can't you do the same for me?"

Amy held out her hand in a handshake gesture. "I'm fine with that. It's fair."

Instead of shaking her hand, Sonic brought it up to his lips for a kiss. He then hooked his fingers in hers and smiled at her dreamily. "I'd say you're more _fine_ than fair," he said with a wink.

She blushed and giggled at his antics, but quickly leaned in for another kiss. This one was more passionate and forceful as she pushed him down on the couch, kissing him deeply as she crawled on top of him. It was certainly the most intense kiss the couple had shared yet.

"Amy… the rabbits are still here…" Sonic said, blushing as she hovered over him. He loved the view but did not want to get caught.

She planted kisses all over his face. "Yeah, but they're in the backroom… we'll just have to be quiet... "

He really should push her off. Objects were disappearing and they should get back to Tails ASAP. But her lips started moving down his body, tracing his neck and his chest and it felt too good to resist.

"Amy," he moaned as quiet as he could.

"Shhhhhh," she teased him with both her words and her lips. He was nearly going limp under her as he enjoyed the pleasure. She loved that she could do this to him.

Unfortunately, the pleasure was short lived for both hedgehogs as the couch under them vanished, letting them both crash to the ground.

"Ow," Sonic complained, rubbing the back of his head.

"Yeah, that timing was pretty bad," Amy agreed, but she was still on top of him, and hugged him close. "But thanks for cushioning my fall, you're my hero."

"Yeah, yeah. Let's go see if Tails has figured anything out. Or if we can hurry him along. Before anything else disappears under us."

* * *

 **Alternate Dimension, AltTails, 3rdAmy**

"So, I'm open to ideas. How were you guys fighting against that RoboEggman in your world?" Tails asked as he began laying out his tools on the workbench.

The girl, the "third" version of Amy Rose, hadn't said much on their way back to his workshop. She was probably still in shock upon seeing him alive. But he had to pick her brain for ideas. With no version of Sonic left in this world, it would be up to the two of them to stop the evil doctor, who had upgraded himself with robotic parts. And this girl had presumably fought him before, so she must have some useful information.

She was still silent. Tails prompted her by speaking her name again.

She came to. "Oh, sorry. Just coming here, seeing the world so free and nice and natural, and your workshop, it's just bringing back memories." She let out a wistful sigh before continuing. "After Eggman roboticized himself and killed Sonic, we formed the Resistance. We fought him for a while, but with Sonic gone, his upgraded armies, and then you died... well, it turned from a war into survival. Hope is fading. There are only a handful of us that aren't under Eggman's grasp."

Tails narrowed his eyes in concentration. "Meaning what, exactly?"

"Slaves. Eggman had machines to build his robots, and machines to maintain those machines, so I don't know what work he has them doing, but I'm sure it's not fun. Me and the other Resistance members freed some of them, but those small victories are all we can pull off. We don't have the equipment or the soldiers for an assault, so all we can do is try to keep part of our world free."

"Before he died, was the other me working on anything that might help?"

"Yes, actually. Now that you mention it. I haven't thought about it in a long time, we'd kinda given up hope on it. But, I remember him saying he wanted to build an EMP device. Something that could directly counter RoboEggman."

Tails snapped his fingers. "Of course! If Eggman has roboticized himself, he has to run on electricity, and if we can short him out with an EMP we can make quick work of him!"

Amy smiled a bit. "Yeah, Tails said nearly that exact same thing. But with him gone, and how hard parts are to come by, it seemed like a useless dream."

"Well, I'm here now!" Tails said with enthusiasm, and began twirling his tails as he flew around his workspace. "And I have plenty of parts. Let's see, I'm gonna need this… and this…" He began forming a pile and sketching down ideas.

Amy suddenly frowned again. "But even if you _can_ build it, we'll still need someone who can get close enough to him, use it, and finish him off."

"You can, right?"

"Maybe. But not by myself. RoboEggman is really dangerous. It's not that I'm scared, just that I'm… experienced."

"You won't be alone, I'm sure we can get Knux to help," Tails said, still scurrying around gathering parts. "Actually, almost forgot… we should probably bring these Chaos Emeralds to him. I'll keep one to power the EMP but we shouldn't keep them all in one spot with just the two of us here."

Amy nodded and headed for the door. "Okay. I'll take the other six to him then, and fill him in." She stopped in the doorway. "Wow. I haven't seen Knuckles in a while, and for all I know he's dead - in my world he was captured a long time ago."

Tails smiled. "Well, you get to see him for now. Also, you'll need a way up to the island."

"Oh, right… it's still in the air here. That would make sense."

"Cream would probably be happy to take you."

"Cream? But she… she's alive here. Right. Wow, it's just…" Amy suddenly found herself fighting tears. "Tails you don't… know how good you have it here. I just wish that Sonic was here too… so I could see him one last time…"

Tails stopped his work to go and comfort the girl with a hug. "Amy, you don't need him to be a hero; you're one yourself. I'm sure you've done a lot of good since he passed. And he'd be proud of that. It's what he would've wanted."

"I know. He… he almost told me. That he loved me. I just wish I - " she swallowed, trying to get a grip on her emotions. She patted Tails on the back and then released him. "I'll be fine. I'll go get Cream and Knuckles and we'll end this. I still don't understand why I was brought here but if we can get rid of RoboEggman for good it'll all be worth. Come and find us when you're ready."

Tails watched with admiration as the hedgehog left. She had been broken, he could tell, but she'd obviously grown back much stronger for it. He'd help her by building this EMP, and then… then they'd figure out how to bring Sonic back. Somehow.

* * *

 **Third Dimension, AltAmy**

The moment the light faded from Amy's eyes, she immediately surveyed her surroundings. She had no idea what to expect, if she'd be in danger, who would be with her, or anything. She hadn't thought too long and hard about coming here, just knew that she _had_ to do this. The world depended on her getting a handle on these pink sapphires, and couldn't do that back home. Plus Sonic needed space, and she needed to prove to him, and herself, that she could do this.

All these thoughts raced through Amy's brain in the background as she analyzed her environment.

She was inside; the room resembled an office. A desk was pushed in the corner, with pens and papers were scattered all over it. Surely this couldn't be her office, as she'd keep things much tidier if she were in charge. Two computer monitors sat side by side, one with a series of maps and the other with an application that resembled a chatroom. Radar and communications. So they really were staying safe and keeping tabs on Eggman here. The room had only artificial light, and she couldn't see any windows nearby. Her first thought was that they were underground, perhaps both literally and figuratively.

Amy approached the desk, and after quickly scanning through the communications and seeing nothing alarming on the radar, she began shuffling through the folders of documents. Again, she was annoyed at how none of it seemed to be in anything resembling order, and knew she couldn't concentrate until it was at least organized. Not sure what half of this was, or what she was looking for, Amy resigned to just grouping it by color.

After lifting up the last pile of folders, a leather-bound journal resting underneath caught her eye. It certainly looked out of place, somewhat old fashioned amongst the messy documents. Perhaps they were just there to hide this? Amy flipped through the pages, discerning they were handwritten. Part of it was a ledger of sorts, with names, dates, locations - she turned to the very beginning and her heart nearly stopped. The very first name, written with perfect penmanship, with a small heart beside it.

 _"Sonic the Hedgehog - deceased."_

 _Damn._ He was really gone here; Eggman hadn't been bluffing. She traced his name with her fingertip. He couldn't have followed her then, she'd have to do this alone, to protect him on the other side.

She scanned through the other list of names, wondering who her allies could be. Tails - dead. Cream - dead. Knuckles - POW. Blaze - POW/MIA. Chaotix - all POW. Big - dead. Shadow - POW/MIA. Her heart sunk with every passing name. Who did that even leave? Rouge, and Silver if he was even here. The three of them could maybe take down the less scary version of Eggman. Maybe.

Reaching the end of the ledger, Amy noted several more pages of notes. She started by just skimming over the contents, but was soon engrossed in the account. If it hadn't been obvious who had written this journal, it was now.

…

" _Today I woke up and finally spoke the words. He's gone. Espio said it'd be good for me to write down my thoughts so I'm trying. But lately I haven't felt much. We buried him last week but it still doesn't feel real. He left us before for months at a time, and I keep watching the door, hoping he'll show up. Hoping I'll hear that boom and know it's him. Hoping that he'll give us some more hope, because right now we don't have much. Tails says to be positive, he has a plan, but he's so broken up and won't let it show. I wish I didn't always carry my heart on my sleeve, and could be strong like him. He works and isolates himself to deal with it. And me? Still haven't dealt with it. At all._

 _..._

 _Today I finally stopped crying. But today I also realized he's not coming back. He never will. He's in the ground, in heaven, but I'll never see him again. Never feel my heart soar from those green eyes, that confidence that everything would be okay. Sonic was hope. When he died, hope died too._

 _..._

 _Today… is just another day. Knuckles was captured. Tails says he's working on something but no one ever sees him anymore. I think all he does in his workshop is cry; after all, we don't have parts for him to build anything. Today, or tomorrow, we may try to look for some. But what does it matter if Sonic is gone? What do I even have to live for anymore? I'd always wondered who I would be without Sonic, and the answer is an emotional wreck. Useless. Nothing. The Resistance needs me to handle communications and I do my best. With Knuckles gone now they need me even more. But I don't think I can do this. Some days I want to kill myself just to join all of those we lost._

 _…_

 _Today, I'm finally writing in here again. I'd put this journal down and hid it away because it wasn't helping. But looking back on these old entries, I realize it did help me, more than I realized at the time. Yeah it all still hurt like hell, but I was getting out it of my heart, out of my head. I can't bring back Sonic, or Tails, or Knuckles, or Cream, but they wouldn't want me to stop trying to save everyone else. I don't know why I'm one of the last ones left. I'd always considered myself one of the weakest of the team, the annoying tagalong, but I outlived them. Rouge says that means I'm strong, stronger than I even knew, but I'm not sure. She also brought me some pink gemstones she found on her scouting mission. I don't know why, but I feel strangely attracted to them..._

 _…_

 _Today, those pink gemstones activated something within me. I heard a voice saying I was their new guardian and that I could discern individual's true desires. I tried them out on Silver, and it turns out he has feelings for me. Not sure how to feel about that. I tried them out on Rouge and her heart is surprisingly wholesome. Yes she wants jewels, but she also wants Knuckles back, more than anything. It's not that I can read minds, it's like I can peer into someone's heart and see their true motivation, their true wants. The voice told me I can also give someone what they truly want, but I know that's not the case. Because as much as I held onto those stones and wished and wished, Sonic never walked back through that door. If only he would. If I'd had these stones back then, I'd have looked into his eyes as he was dying, when he almost told me he loved me… if only I could know the truth… then again it hardly matters if he's dead. I have to move on._

 _…._

 _Today, I realized the pink sapphires can actually give someone what they want. But it's pretty dramatic how it does so. It literally transports them to another world where that desire is true. It's more of a traveler's stone, so that's what we took to calling them. Not gonna lie, I considered using them on myself. Leaving this terrible world behind, and going to a place where Sonic is still alive. Maybe a younger me would have done that. But I know I can't leave this world. I have to stay and fight, free the prisoners who are still alive, and take back the planet. Eggman may have roboticized himself but he's not immortal, and we'll figure something out. I can't abandon Silver. I may have taken a liking to him. I know Sonic and Tails and Cream would want me, us, to be happy, and to not give up. So I fight on in their memory. I wondered who I'd be without Sonic, and the answer is - me. Strong, smart, capable, and a hero."_

 _…_

Amy closed the book, her heart pounding. She sniffed, and wiped away a few tears she just noticed. What powerful words - this version of her had been through hell. She'd also had the sapphires and unlocked their power, becoming the guardian here too. Amy reached into her own pockets and found the gemstones sitting safely in her dress. She pulled them out and stared at them, their glittering pink surfaces mesmerizing. And yet, no Super form like she'd seen on the other Amy. What was wrong with her? Why did the other two have it and she didn't?

A loud alarm from the computer made Amy jump from the surprise. She frantically looked at the screen, trying to make sense of the data and alerts.

"Amy, what do we have?" Silver suddenly poked his head through the door, then glided over to stand behind her, staring intently at the screen.

"Sounds like the radar alarm," Rouge flew in not soon after, huddling next to the hedgehogs, and confirming Amy's suspicion they were the only ones left.

"What is that thing?" Silver squinted at the radar. "Amy?"

"Uh," the girl hesitated, not eager to share she wasn't exactly who they thought she was. But the data on the screen made her stomach turn. No. No, it couldn't be. "It says it's a blue blur moving at supersonic speeds."

"Not Metal," Rouge said. "Please not him. If he finds this place we're toast."

"I'll hold him off," Silver activated his light blue swirls to levitate himself. "You two get to safety."

Rouge grabbed his shoulder. "Nice try, champ, but we don't split up, remember? Every time one of us tries to go solo, we end up captured. That's how the doc has been taking us out one by one. First Shadow, then Knuckie, then Blaze, and I can't lose you, too."

Silver looked at Amy, his golden eyes sad. "At least _you_ get to safety, Amy?"

The girl blinked at him, unaccustomed to the tenderness in his expression. Towards her. That's right, according to the journal the two of them had a "thing" here. Oh boy.

"No, are you crazy? I'm fighting him, too."

The male hedgehog turned off his powers and landed next to her. He gently brought a hand up to her forehead to brush away her bangs. "I can't lose you…" he whispered, and closed his eyes as if about to kiss her.

Amy stared at him with wide eyes, awkwardly. Should she play along to not cause confusion? But she couldn't kiss Silver, he was a friend! Even if over here they were more than that! Luckily for Amy, a deep voice interrupted them.

"Hey, hands off my girl!"

The three of them turned to face the intruder, all looking equally horrified. A blue hedgehog, formerly dead and buried, now apparently alive and well, complete with his trademark smirk and arms crossed.

"What the f-"

Before Rouge could finish her vulgarity, Silver immediately grabbed Sonic's body with his powers. He violently threw him against the wall, paralyzing him from moving.

"Wait, Silver, stop!" Amy asked, and then ran over to Sonic, but she was cross. "Sonic, what are you doing here? You followed me!?"

"Had to," he replied as Silver loosened his psychokinetic grasp on him. He jumped back up. "I told you I couldn't let you go to another world by yourself."

"But you have no way back! You're trapped here!" Amy protested. "I told _you_ to stay home!"

"We'll figure something out, we always do," he shrugged. "Happy I found you guys, but I have to say it was ridiculously easy - "

"Someone wanna tell us what the hell is going on?" Rouge demanded. "You're supposed to be dead. We buried you. Don't tell me you've been alive the whole time."

The hedgehogs turned to her.

"I just clawed my way out of a grave," Sonic said, scowling. "Don't be mad at me."

"You… what?" Silver was still stunned.

"What?" Amy echoed.

"Yeah. I used the Chaos Emeralds and those Sapphires to swap myself. I guess since I was dead here, the Emeralds resurrected my body on this side, and the sapphires swapped it, but I was still buried underground. Got out easily enough."

"You have the Chaos Emeralds?" Rouge asked, her eyes glowing.

"Really? You hear all that and _that's_ the question you ask?" Silver shook his head. "I still don't understand what's going on."

"Long story short, we're from another dimension," Amy said and reached into her pocket. "It looks like here, I do have the Sapphires."

"No Emeralds for me, though, But we don't need 'em. You guys ready to kick Eggface's butt?" Sonic grinned at them.

"Wait, _both_ of you aren't… real? You're from somewhere else? Then where is my Amy?" Silver asked.

" _Your_ Amy?" Sonic narrowed his eyes at the gray hedgehog.

"Hey, you're supposed to be dead!"

"Forget all that," Rouge interjected. "You two can fight over Amy later. But we're not about to go fight Eggman. If you guys are from another dimension then you don't know how powerful he is here - "

Sonic yawned. "I just scouted the whole planet. I'd say I can get in and take out the doc, no problem. Especially if we can get everyone else together."

"Those who aren't dead are captured. Knuckles, Shadow, Blaze among them," Amy said.

Sonic gathered Amy in his arms bridal style and winked down at her. "Then it's time for a good old-fashioned jailbreak." He nodded at Silver and Rouge. "You two try and keep up."

He took off at top speed, and Amy held on tight. She wanted to be happy he was here, because with him defeating Eggman would be easier. But what about after that? The whole reason she came here was to protect him, and now they were both stuck. Even if they tracked down all the Emeralds in this world and she somehow mastered the sapphires, there was no physical body in their world to use to swap him. He'd simply vanished over there. And without Tails here to build a machine to travel through the worlds… she didn't see it happening.

"What's the matter, Ames?"

"I wish you weren't here," was all she said, avoiding his eyes.

Sonic was about to make a wisecrack, but actually thought better of it. "You know I had to."

"No you didn't."

"You're the one that came over here first, Ames. Remember. This was your plan. I said we could beat that robotic Egghead and you said no."

"He'd already killed you! I don't know why you're so confident. I saw the intelligence, Eggman has taken over this whole planet."

"You knew that coming in. What was your plan before, without me?"

Amy pulled out the cursed pink sapphires. "I'll use these. Or learn how."

"So you came all the way over here without a plan of what to do?"

"Oh please, Sonic, you do that all the time!"

"Yeah but I'm good at it. You're not!"

She didn't respond, and instead held him close. Sonic's voice softened.

"Amy, I… Coming out here, I realized that I can't lose you. I saw my grave out there, and Tails' too. I realized I won't live forever. So let's not wait to be together. I know I said I needed a break, but let's not wait until it's too late. I just realized if something happened to me, or you, and we hadn't lived our lives to the fullest, well - I'd regret it, and I'd always lived my life with no regrets. So I'm not leaving your side again. Okay?"

The girl nodded, happy he was opening up to her. She nuzzled the side of his face. "Sonic, you know I feel the same way. I found a diary that this Amy kept, of how she felt when she lost you and… I can't go through that either. She eventually realized she was strong without you, and I know I would be too, but I think I'm stronger with you. I just wanted to come here to show you, I can handle myself, didn't need you at my side always, and you could make your own decisions without me. I just didn't think your decision would be to follow me."

"I love you too much to do anything else."

They shared a quick kiss at supersonic speed.

"And don't you worry, Amy. We're gonna win this thing, and I'll get us home. I promise."


	15. Logistics

_LustLets, Amefloza13, starfiction123, Lynkia, Infinite's Ruby, Kyle Williams - SuperSonicSpy1, Byrd3-13_ _: Thank you for all your support during this whole story. It's been about a year since I posted the first chapter… and what an amazing year it's been for me. Probably one of the best in my life. I healed and grew so much, and this story is written proof of all I've been through._

 _Please enjoy the finale to this story. It's more plot than detail, but enjoy it regardless! We all deserve a happy ending ~_

Chapter 15: Logistics

 **Alternate Dimension, AltTails**

Tails had made an EMP before. Or at least, he'd thought about it in the past, sketched a few plans in his spare time. Normally with Sonic around, the hedgehog could destroy badniks faster than an EMP would work anyway. And the large battle mechs that Eggman used would require a rather large pulse, so he'd filed the idea away as not worth looking into. But now that Eggman himself was roboticized, well… this was the perfect tool for the job. He just hoped he could finish it in time for Amy to get to Angel Island and back.

However, the fox was only partway finished when RoboEggman attacked his workshop directly. The cyborg broke down the doors all by himself; no army, no backup, just the doctor with his frightening metal appendages that had replaced his arms and hands.

The fox froze in place, his screwdriver falling to the floor, but he didn't even hear the clang. The device wasn't finished yet. He couldn't fight Eggman without it. He was trapped, and his friends were miles away.

"Eggman, why are you here?"

The doctor spoke in a cold voice. "You know why. I know you're the only one who can destroy me. I won't make the same mistakes in this world. I thought killing Sonic would kill hope, and maybe it did for some. But you - it gave you motivation. I'm not going to let you finish your project, fox boy."

Before he struck, the last thing RoboEggman saw was the fear in the wide blue eyes of kit - and he relished it.

 **Original Dimension, OrSonic/Amy/Tails**

"So, I made you guys a little something - ta-da!" Tails smiled at his two friends as he unveiled his latest invention to save the world. He knew it didn't look like much, essentially just a tablet with two handles, but it hid some incredibly complex calculations. "I know, it's so cool. It's simple to use, too!"

"You know, Tails," Sonic smirked sarcastically. "You always say that when you're about to explain something super complicated. 'It's real simple guys, it's just insert complicated math and science stuff. Blah blah, stuff no one understands but me'. "

Tails crossed his arms. "You done?"

Amy was still giggling at Sonic's Tails impression, and he smiled at her and continued, loving the sound of her laughter.

"Ugh, I think I liked it better when you two weren't all lovey-dovey," he muttered under his breath. He then cleared his throat. "Anyway, you guys have to go get the objects that have been disappearing from this world. This scanner was built to harness and combine both the energy of the Chaos Emeralds and Pink Sapphires. If both of you are in your Super Forms, you just have to use this scanner on an object, and it'll tell you which dimension it came from, what approximate location - "

"Approximate?" Amy asked.

"Well I had to estimate that because we're running out of time," Tails said. "So yes, it's not perfect, but the goal is to just cover up the energy leak here in this world. If you guys send it all back where it originated from, then we can use the Emeralds to seal the tear and then everything should be fine."

"Seems easy enough. So where exactly are we going?" Sonic asked.

"A void dimension. Or null space, if you will. That's where the objects went, it's the only place they could have. The Pink Sapphires don't create energy, so they only had to steal this world's-"

"Right, okay, let's go," Sonic interrupted.

"Wait," Amy held up a hand. "So we use this tablet thing to scan the objects in the void dimension, but how do we send them back?"

Tails shrugged dramatically. "I don't know. You guys are the ones with the superpowers, I just make stuff."

"Helpful," Sonic huffed.

"I think I can use the Sapphires to do it; that's what swapped them in the first place. If not, can you use Chaos Control?" Amy asked.

Sonic shook his head. "Maybe. I've only ever used it to teleport. Maybe we could combine our powers somehow."

Amy suddenly squealed. "Combine our powers? Sonic, this is going to be so romantic, isn't it?" She hugged him tightly. "You and me,working together, it's what I've always dreamed about!"

"Well, this won't be the last time I make your dreams come true." He planted a soft kiss on her forehead.

"Aww, Sonic!"

"Blergh," Tails gagged.

"Alrighty Ames," Sonic said as he pulled out his Emeralds. Amy followed suit by pulling out her Sapphires. Both hedgehogs started glowing, their bodies surging with energy.

Amy took just one look in Sonic's fiery red eyes, and the amount of love and desire he had for her was nearly overwhelming. He looked so handsome with his quills pointing up, his body golden, and strength and power surrounding him. She wanted to take him right then and there, but knew they had a job to do. Amy had also agreed to not use her powers on him, but it was nearly second nature when she slipped on her Super form. He admired her, loved her, wanted her…

"We good to go?" Super Sonic asked, taking the tablet from Tails in one hand, while his other arm wrapped around Super Amy. The girl nodded and smiled at him before taking the scanner device.

"Chaos Control."

The two hedgehogs disappeared from Tails' sight and he just nodded and whispered them well-wishes. When Sonic and Amy's vision returned, the scene around them was almost comical. Scattered random objects were floating in midair, with a pitch-black backdrop. Desks, mechanical parts, sports balls, utensils, supplies - all of it suspended in the void. If the hedgehogs didn't have their Super forms' glow, they wouldn't be able to see with the lack of light.

"Well, at least we know we're in the right place," Sonic said, half-joking.

Amy left his grasp and floated over to the nearby mechanical part, her lips twisted in a frown. She still wasn't 100% comfortable using her powers yet, and even so, couldn't sense any desire coming from these objects, despite Eggman being able to do so.

"Let's get to work, Ames," Sonic nodded at her. "We'll figure this out."

 **Third Dimension, AltAmy/Sonic**

With Amy in his arms, Sonic knew he wouldn't be able to fight directly against any of Eggman's defenses. So as he headed into the base, searching for where the prisoners were being held, it was all he could do to avoid their attacks. The Eggman of this world definitely had a ton of resources, ammo, and firepower. But their current goal wasn't to destroy all he'd built, Sonic was going to go after the big guy himself. After they opened up the prison, of course.

A quick glance behind confirmed Silver and Rouge were following them from above; Silver used his powers to clear a path for him to run through, and Rouge had Silver's back. He noticed Silver was subtly guiding him towards the prison camp, and once he laid eyes on the dreary, windowless brick building up ahead, he knew this had to be it. It was completely surrounded by three gigantic battle mechs, their red eyes tracking his movements as they got closer.

"That's where the prisoners are," Amy said, looking up at him. "How will we get through those mechs?"

"We'll have to leave those two to handle them at first." Sonic nodded up to Silver and Rouge. "I'll run past them, and then help you break the door down. Once everyone is free we'll have some more good fighters."

"I still think this is crazy," Silver yelled down to his fellow hedgehogs.

"Can't believe you guys hadn't tried this before," Sonic countered.

"You think we didn't?" Rouge said. "You're the only one reckless enough to try again!"

Sonic grinned, and Amy hugged him. "It's not reckless if I always win."

Amy was too in awe at admiring his confidence to say anything - but the next thing she knew, she was flying through the air. Sonic had tossed her up towards the prison door. She brandished her hammer and pulled it back behind her head, winding up for maximum impact. She brought the mallet forward just in time, and it slammed against the door, creating a huge crack. The metal dented and opened the door just enough for it to be pried open.

Sonic wasted no time in entering. He spin-dashed door after door, opening up each cell. The roar of confusion at seeing him made him grin, but not stop. There would be time to bask in the praise later. He mentally checked off each prisoner that he freed: Blaze, Shadow, the Chaotix, and, of course, Knuckles.

"Knux." Sonic finally came to a stop to nod at his old friend.

The echidna did not seem amused, even has he broke off the last of his restraints. He was finally able to stretch his muscles again, and rolled his shoulder in a circle. "Sonic? What the hell? Don't tell me you've been alive this whole time."

Sonic waved his hand dismissively."Nah, it's a bit of a story, I'll tell ya later. Now, we got some Eggman butt to kick."

"You're just as crazy as you've ever been if you think you can take on Eggman."

"Nah, I don't think I can. I _know_ I can. And I also know that _we_ can. That's why I had to free your captive ass first."

"Hmph. Well, I am sick of being useless in here. I'd ask if you had a plan but I know you better than that."

Sonic's grin only grew wider.

"Rouge is here," Amy poked her head in to say.

Knuckles scowled. "Why would I want to see that bat?"

"You're relieved that's she's okay," Amy said without thinking. "You're impressed that she'd evaded capture this whole time. And you want to be close to her. Despite your frown."

Sonic and Knuckles just stared at her for a moment. Amy blinked.

"What?"

But as she looked down at herself, the pink glow emanating from her arms made her do a double take. Before it even registered in her mind that she'd unlocked the power of the Sapphires, her arms were smothered by Sonic's own, hugging her close.

Sonic planted a kiss on her forehead. "I knew you could do it," he winked and then raced out the door with her in his arms. It was time to face the doctor himself.

 **Alternate Dimension, 3rdAmy**

If seeing Tails again had been confusing, seeing Cream and Knuckles again had been overwhelming for 3rdAmy. Cream's house was still standing (and right in the middle of a peaceful neighborhood), Angel Island was still in the air, all Emeralds were secure with the Guardian. Everything was so nice here, so perfect. Cream and Knuckles acted like nothing was wrong, and that Sonic would come back to them at any moment. They were different from how she remembered; they seemed younger to her. More immature, softer, less hardened by pain. They hadn't felt the pain of losing Sonic, they still had the hope that he represented. If only things had turned out differently in her world. Then she, too, could enjoy fresh blue skies that weren't polluted by smog from Eggman's factories.

She hadn't told them she wasn't the Amy she knew. She only said Sonic was gone to another dimension but would be back soon, hopefully. Her real hope was that when he did come back, she'd be able to catch just a glimpse of him, still alive. Amy didn't care that it would push back her healing process. She just wanted to hear those words he never said.

"Guys! Guys!"

Amy looked up from her musings to the sound of yelling. She stood as a bright red airplane came into view and soon landed next to her and her friends.

"Tails?" Cream asked as the fox jumped out of his plane. He appeared out of breath.

"We have a problem." Tails began pulling out mechanical parts from the cargo hold of the plane.

"What?" Knuckles asked.

"RoboEggman got to my workshop. I knew he would come, so I set up a hologram of me to buy us some time. But by now he's likely figured out what happened and will come after us. I have the EMP started but I need to hook it up to a larger power source than I was expecting. Do you think you could loan me the Master Emerald?"

Knuckles cocked his head. "That's a tall ask, Tails. But if this Eggman is as crazy as Amy was describing it's a good idea."

"Trust me, we'll need every weapon we can get in this fight. Now I gotta get to work, he'll be here any moment… you guys have to hold him off while I finish this…"

 **Third Dimension, AltEggman/Sonic/Amy**

"Eggman."

The doctor didn't move, didn't even turn around. Here he was, surrounded by glory, by everything he'd ever dreamed of. It had all been handed to him suddenly, and he'd spent his short time here just taking stock of what he had. But before he could even get a proper inventory count - the blue menace. Presumed dead here, but Eggman knew better. The hedgehog had followed him. And proceeded to immediately free all of his prisoners, creating a path of destruction on his way here, decimating his army.

"So this is what brings you joy, hmm?" Eggman finally turned around, eyeing the blue hedgehog and his obnoxious pink girlfriend. "I finally have the world I want, I'm the ruler and emperor of everything that moves, and no you in sight, and then you show up anyway! Why must you follow me everywhere? Why can't you be happy for me achieving my lifelong dream? Must you ruin every single one of my plans!"

Sonic began stretching his legs. "Hey, if you could be done with your temper tantrum that'd be great, because I'm ready to kick your ass."

"Sonic, wait." Amy touched his arm. This gesture was the only thing in the world that could stop Sonic dead in his tracks. "He wants to go back."

The pink glow covered her body once again, and she floated off the ground, approaching Eggman. Despite the doctor wearing those dark glasses, she could see right through them, and into his heart. It was a terrifying prospect, but Eggman's base desires weren't as wild and evil as she expected. He actually didn't want to stay here. He just wanted -

"And you suddenly are able to use those gems?" Eggman barked. "Why does the universe not want me to rule it?"

"I figured it out," she said with a smile. "I wondered for so long why the other Amy had a Super Form and I didn't, if there was something wrong with me, and what she had that I didn't. And it turns out, she had a… decision. A dedication. She knew just what she wanted, so she was able to see what others wanted as well. And once I was able to decide what I truly wanted, the gems activated for me." Amy turned to Sonic. "Coming to this world and seeing what happens without you, Sonic, I found the truth. What I want is you."

"A-amy," Sonic kicked the floor, suddenly embarrassed that she was being so sweet to him in front of his arch-nemesis.

"And now, I can see that you want me too." The pink girl beamed at her shy boy, then turned back to their enemy. "But you, Eggman," she scowled at the human. "You don't want to stay here. You were suddenly given everything you always wanted, but you don't feel you earned it. It's a hollow victory. And now that Sonic and I are here, you really don't want to stay. If I were to use these gems on you now, you'd want to go right back home. And you'd swap with that horrific robot version of yourself."

"That's not true! I'm happy here! Don't you dare use those cursed gems on me, I'm right where I need to be!"

Amy smirked. "We'll see about that, Eggman!"

She created a burst of light from the Sapphires, aiming at the doctor. His fat body seemed to disappear into the void, but when the bright light faded… the hedgehogs found themselves face to face with the same Eggman. Nothing had changed.

"What happened?" Sonic asked.

"But… but…. he wants to go back," Amy insisted, "That should have worked…"

"I told you I want to stay here!" Eggman bellowed. "And now you'll pay for using those on me!" His arms flailed across his keyboard, setting up defense and launch sequences. Bombs began dropping all over the base. "Heheh!"

Sonic grabbed Amy and zipped out the door. Their plan to use the sapphires on Eggface didn't work for some reason, but no matter. He had to make sure his friends were safe.

 **Void Dimension, Original Sonic/Amy**

"That's the last one…" Sonic said as the last few objects disappeared. His hands fell to his sides - not from weariness, as the Chaos Emeralds provided more than enough energy. He was just relieved, and wanted to use his hands for something other than creating chaos energy balls to teleport objects.

As if she could read his mind (actually, now that he thought about it, she could), Amy floated over to him and slipped her hand in his. It felt super nice, and he turned to smile at her tenderly. The two hedgehogs were completely alone in the void, with nothing but each other.

"Sonic, we did it… we can go home now."

The male hedgehog floated to the side, and took Amy's other hand so the two were face to face. He had to admit, he loved working with her like this. He wouldn't have been able to solve this crisis on his own; Ames having superpowers was new and a bit frightening, but growing on him. And he'd have so much to tell her later. But for now -

"Before we go home, Ames, I was thinkin'… we may be able to help our friends from the other dimension. They were fighting a nasty version of Eggman, and since we can travel through dimensions when we're both powered - "

"We can help save them!" Amy finished his sentence with eagerness, and wrapped her boy in a hug once more. Today was turning out great after all.

 **Alternate Dimension, AltTails/Cream/Knux, 3rdAmy**

"Okay… wow. I always forget how much power the Master Emerald has," Tails chuckled a bit. He was looking over the energy readings on his EMP device, and they were literally off the charts. The range on the device was also more than he'd designed for; if Eggman came anywhere on Angel Island, he'd get zapped, and with his limbs inoperable, he'd be paralyzed and at their mercy.

"You know, for a guardian you should be more vigilant," Amy scolded Knuckles. The echidna was basically napping in front of the Master Emerald, one eye closed as Tails did his thing.

"Look at the sky; I don't see the Egg Fleet anywhere near us. Until I see a giant ship there's no need to worry. I'm just preserving my energy."

"Except that Eggman doesn't need a ship to get up here," Amy pointed out. "He has thrusters on his his legs and can fly."

Knuckles shook his head. "Sounds crazy to me. Can't really picture Eggman as a robot."

"He sounds scary," Cream said, hugging Cheese close to her.

"Don't worry Cream," Tails spoke up to smile at the rabbit. "We just need to get him up here and he'll be done for."

"Precious! Will it really be that easy?"

Everyone gasped upon hearing the creepy voice behind them. They turned to look - but no one was there. No Eggman; the skies were clear as they'd always been. Amy brandished her hammer.

"Eggman, show yourself!"

"I'm no fool. I have to admit, Tails, that hologram was very convincing. But I know you're working on an EMP device using the Master Emerald. So relax, I have no intention of invading your little island party."

Tails helicoptered into the air, searching for the sound of the voice transmission.

His voice turned gleeful. "However, if any of you take one step off the island, one of my thousands of guns aimed at you all now will blow you out of the sky. And don't even waste that EMP charge on them, they're all non-electronic. Meanwhile, I'll be taking over the world while all you heroes are busy and trapped on the top of the world. Have fun!"

The voice fizzled out just when Tails located the flying drone. Everyone else exchanged worried glances.

"Now what…?" Cream asked.

"I may be able to figure out where he was transmitting from. So we'll be able to locate him," Tails said.

Amy looked over the edge, gulping as she saw the "thousands of guns" Eggface had alluded to.

Knuckles followed her gaze and shook his head. "What good will that do we can't leave the Island?"

"I don't know," Tails admitted. "But it's a start. And we have to do something."

 **Third Dimension, AltAmy/Sonic**

Bombs were dropping from out of nowhere, and Sonic ran through the base like it was an obstacle course. Everywhere he turned, the way forward was filled with shrapnel and explosions. His goal was to get everyone out and start a new attack.

"What is he doing?" Amy suddenly spoke from her spot in his arms. "He's destroying everything. All his weapons."

"That's it," Sonic grinned. He quickly knew what the better plan was. "The more I run around, the more he'll try and hit me. If he's not that familiar with his own weapons, he'll destroy them all as he tries to take me out. Heheh, perfect Ames."

The girl nodded, but stayed silent. She was still confused about why trying to swap Eggman didn't work. She clearly was able to access her super form now, and yet couldn't use it for any good.

Once he reached the edge of the base, he set Amy down. "Make sure everyone gets out okay, 'kay? I'll take care of Eggface. Be careful Ames." He gave her a peck on the cheek and a wink before taking off again, leaving the girl still doubting herself, but at least with a task to accomplish.

As she worked to account for the survivors, Sonic's plan was working like a charm. He raced across the base, and Eggman tried to track him down by dropping bombs in his wake, but Sonic just used that to his advantage and watched with glee as the doctor destroyed his own weapons. As soon as Sonic knew everyone was okay, he'd chase Eggman into a retreat.

And then? Well… then he didn't know. He still had no way home. But he knew that coming in, and wouldn't let it slow him down now.

 **Alternate Dimension**

Gunshots rang across the island, putting the heroes on alert. Tails looked up from his device, Amy gripped her hammer, Knuckles clenched his fists, and Cream hid behind Cheese. The bullets slammed into the side of the island, shaking it back and forth, and causing them all to look for something to hold on to.

"We're all still here, what triggered that?" Knuckles demanded.

"I don't know," Tails said, his brow furrowed with worry.

Just then, a familiar, friendly deep voice called out to them. "Hey guys! Someone wanna explain what's going on?" A bright yellow hedgehog flew into view; next to him was his glowing pink girlfriend.

"Sonic, Amy!" Tails yelped. "So glad to see you. You guys made it back, I was so worried! But wait, why is… she still here?" He looked at 3rdAmy, but the girl was just staring at Super Sonic with huge eyes.

"Sonic… you're alive…" she fell to her knees, her eyes overflowing with sudden tears. "I can't believe it…"

"Uh, yeah? Of course I am? Wait, … where is the other me?" SuperSonic asked.

"He's dead," 3rdAmy said.

"What?" SuperSonic and SuperAmy shouted at the same time.

"No, he's not dead," Tails interrupted. "Well, her version is... "

"What?" The Super hedgehogs echoed.

"Time out," Knuckles spoke. "Are you two from here, yes or no?"

"No," SuperAmy said. "We just got finished saving our world, and we thought we'd come lend a hand here."

"Yeah, I saw the com break and thought you guys might need some help," SuperSonic added.

"Oh, you guys are the _other_ Sonic and Amy…" Tails nodded.

"I'm so confused," Cream shrugged.

"It's… complicated," Tails said. "Long story short, there's a third dimension involved now, and our Sonic and Amy are both over there, and this Amy is from that third world."

"What's important is the pyscho RoboEggman has us trapped up here," Knuckles said. "He sent us a message saying if we tried to leave he'd destroy the whole island and us too."

"Looks like he has enough firepower down there to do it," SuperSonic said.

"I have my EMP ready, but we have to get Eggman actually here for it to work. I was able to track the signal so I know where he is, but that's not going to do us any good."

"You need to get him here?" SuperAmy asked, and turned to her boy. "Sonic and I can get him and transport him here. We just did something like that in our world."

Tails nodded. "That'd be perfect. If you guys can send him here, I'll activate the EMP, destroy him, and end this."

"Cool," SuperSonic grinned. "Just give us the coordinates and we're on it."

 **Third Dimension, AltSonic/Amy**

They'd done it. Eggman's base and weapon warehouses were in ruins thanks to his own carelessness. The doctor had flown away in embarrassed retreat, cursing all of them. The Resistance was battered, but now free, and had plans to rebuild their world with the scraps of Eggman's empire.

"Ames, what's wrong? We won," Sonic smiled at his girl, but she just shook her head, and pushed away his hug.

"No we didn't. I failed. We're stuck here because of me. I came here thinking I could do this on my own, but truth is Sonic, if you hadn't come, I'd probably be captured. I wanted to show you I could be independent, but all I realized is… I need you. And I'm nothing without you."

"Hey," he said gently, tilting her head up to meet his tender green eyes. "No one is stuck anywhere. We're just on an adventure, and we'll find our way home soon. In the meantime, we were able to help out everywhere here. That's a win in my book."

His enthusiasm and positivity were infectious, and the girl managed a small smile. "Well, if we have to stay here, at least we're together again. It was hard being apart from you for so long. I missed you, Sonic."

"There's my girl. And don't forget, you have a super form now. Only fittin' that Sonic's girl is also a superhero," he added with a wink.

Amy was about to lean forward to steal a kiss, when she was interrupted by an oddly-familar voice.

"Hey guys!"

Both Sonic and Amy turned, and their jaws dropped.

"What? It's… the other us?" Sonic asked, eyeing their counterparts. Both of them were in their super forms.

"Sure is," Super[Or]Sonic said. "I saw you guys had some trouble back in your world, and we heard that you'd be here without a way back. So we've come to get you out."

"What about our world?" AltAmy asked. "And that RoboEggman?"

"We took care of him. Tails built an EMP and Ames and I brought him to it. Doc's just a bundle of scraps now." SuperSonic laughed triumphantly.

"Yeah, and then he told us you guys were trapped here. And while we've been transporting stuff all day, we had to come get you, too," SuperAmy added.

"Wow… I'm so happy to see you guys. It's still weird to see you both here in the flesh and not on a screen. I thought we'd be trapped here," AltAmy said.

"Told ya not to worry," AltSonic said to his girl. "And better yet, we'll be going home to a world without Eggman."

The four hedgehogs exchanged nods and smiles.

"Alright, so, we all ready to go home?" SuperAmy asked.

"Yes, most def," AltSonic said.

"One thing though," SuperSonic said, and turned to his counterpart. "I need to ask a favor."

 **Alternate Dimension**

"Don't worry Tails, they'll come back soon!" Cream encouraged. Since the Original Sonic and Amy helped them take out Eggman, and then went to fetch their other selves, the heroes were busy cleaning up the mess. RoboEggman was defeated thanks to teamwork and Tails' powerful EMP.

"I guess…. That means I'll be sent back home too," 3rdAmy said. "I just wanna say, it was nice to see all of you again. And Sonic too. I just… wish I had more time, and could have said a few more things to him."

"Amy."

His voice. His unmistakable voice. She'd hallucinated it for a long time after he passed, and when she'd heard SuperSonic earlier it was unmistakable. And now… again. She heard him. She slowly turned around.

"Sonic…"

There he was. In his 'normal', non-Super form this time. But still just as handsome. Her heart beat painfully at seeing him, and her mouth ran dry. There was so much she wanted to say, but all she could do was take him in. She had no idea which version of himself he was, but it didn't matter at this point.

Sonic spoke. "Look, we don't have much time. I just wanna say that, I saw what you did in the other world. How you stayed alive and kept the fight going. I was just there, and we've defeated Eggman. So when you go home, it'll be to a better world."

Amy shook her head. "Not… if it doesn't have you…"

He gently took her hand, and planted a kiss on it. "I'm sure your Sonic would be proud of what you did and who you became."

Amy embraced Sonic. She knew it wasn't the "real" him, but she didn't care. She just wanted him in any way she could get him.

"I love you, Sonic," she whispered in his ear, wanting to remember every detail about this moment. It'd live in her memory forever.

His hands smoothed down her back, and he whispered in reply, "I love you, Amy."

That was it. That was all she wanted to hear. All she needed. She'd never see or hold Sonic again, but as the bright light indicated she was being swapped back to her world, leaving her with empty arms, she felt oddly at peace. Maybe her world would be better - she knew her heart would be, getting to embrace him one last time.

The bright light faded, leaving behind the alternate version of Amy Rose, but Sonic still had his arms around her.

"I love you, Amy," he repeated, talking to his actual girlfriend this time. He kissed her ears.

"I love you so much, Sonic," the pink girl replied. "We did it. We made it home."

"I made you a promise," he reminded her. "And no matter what, we're sticking together. So you're stuck with me."

She nuzzled into his shoulder. They'd literally crossed worlds and dimensions to be together. A love like that, it was truly unbreakable. Maybe before, she'd been unsure of what her heart desired, but she didn't need the pink sapphires glow to figure out what - and who - she truly desired.

Holding Sonic close, Amy had all she ever wanted right here in her arms.

 **Original Dimension**

"That was an insane day," Amy said. She scooted over to rest her head on Sonic's chest, snuggling as close to him as possible. The two hedgehogs sat in a peaceful field, back in their home world for good - for now, at least. For now, they had a quiet moment together, looking up at the fluffy clouds floating over a world they'd saved.

Sonic pulled her closer, enjoying her warmth. He couldn't imagine being happier and more comfortable than he was at this moment. "Nah, just another day. Good day, but meh, nothing too special happened. We saved the world, and an alternate world, and a third world for good measure. Just another day at the office."

Amy kissed his chest, then stated down at him cutely. "And the fact that we're together?"

He smirked back at her. "That's what made it a good day."

Amy wrapped her arms around the blue hedgie, hugging him completely. Her emerald eyes sparkled as she claimed him. "I've got you this time, Sonic."

This time, he leaned in and kissed her. "And every time after this one."

 _The End._

 _So ends another of my stories… as I said earlier, this one was written on and off during one of the most important years of my life. Also one of my most productive; I'm now up to a career wordcount of more than 650K words on this site, and a year ago I was not quite at 500K. So I've written about 200K words in the past year. This story also happens to be my longest and probably most complicated plot-wise. It makes me so happy to track how much I've grown and improved._

 _I'm beyond proud of myself ~_

 _Anyway, thanks for reading and reviewing! If there are any mistakes in this chapter I'll fix them a bit later. Also, I'll have more stories up soon! Catch ya on the Flipside, guys and gals…_

 _~ **SilverDawn** ~_


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